The Future Menace
by 1-1 Marines
Summary: Please excuse the oh-so-original title. A prequel to "Lieutenant Grand Moff Vader," partially to help integrate it into canon better. Please read and review. Rated for language and other elements.
1. Discovery

**ME:** **A/N: This is a somewhat AU fic. I have written this one-shot (potential multi shot) to justify Chad Vader's existence given his absence in the Phantom Menance.**

 **Of course, given Jar Jar, I'm sure you guys won't mind.**

Shmi Skywalker sighed at what was all but confirmed to be the fate for at least one of her children.

She had recently given birth to twin boys, who she had named Anakin and Chad. There was no father-how her sons had been conceived, the slave would likely never know.

 _There are rumors that someone will be sold off to help with a gambling debt. The worst thing about this is that I cannot do anything without risking all of us._

Shmi knew the facts; she was considered to be property, no different than a table. Her opinion would not matter. It was all but certain either Anakin or Chad would be taken; at their age, they would know nothing but slavery. They would be easier to control.

Suddenly a Gamorrean guard armed with a vibro-ax entered the room. "Give one," he said, his Basic passable (if her limited understanding of xenobiology was correct, the pig-like humanoids simply were anatomically limited to clearly speaking their own language).

Shmi grabbed Chad. Knowing she would never see him again, she kissed the boy on his forehead. "Goodbye, my son."

The Gamorrean extended one open hand, and with tears in her eyes the enslaved woman handed over Chad. "I will never forget you, Chad Skywalker."

The dark-haired boy was handed over to a Trandoshan smuggler captain.

"Not the most impressive slave," the captain told his first mate as they proceeded towards the Mid Rim in hyperspace.

"Humans are Humans," the junior slaver grunted. "Wookiees, though? Assuming anyone can actually train the brat into something useful, even then he'll just be a bonus compared to the walking carpets of Kashyyyk we're catching tonight."

The older Trandoshan smiled. Wookiees were prized for both their strength and (even he admitted grudgingly) intelligence, making them valuable prizes for slavers to capture. He could already see the credits.

The freighter exited hyperspace and entered the Kashyyyk system. The third planet of said system, Kashyyyk, came into view.

"One minute," the first mate announced. "T-minus sixty 'til atmospheric reentry, boss."

"Better not keep the bastards waiting," the captain responded. "They're probably scratching themselves for fleas." He laughed at his own joke.

"Good thing our transponder's off," the first mate said. "Last thing we need is to get into a shootout with the Republic Navy."

The captain laughed. "You been living under a rock, haven't you? It's now _the Judicial_ _Fleet_ ," he sneered. "Because apparently militaries are for bad people according to Coruscant."

"Good for us, then," the first mate replied. "I wouldn't want to fight an actual war-."

Suddenly the ship's sensor monitor beeped. "Fierfek!" The first mate hissed. "Sir, we just detected a light cruiser on an intercept vector, _Carrack_ -class. Son of a bitch, we can't jump due to the gravity well."

As if on cue, the _Carrack_ hailed them. "Unidentified ship, this is Republic Judicial vessel on your port bow. You have entered restricted space, please proceed to identify yourselves immediately. Over."

"Kriff!" The captain cursed before turning on the transmitter; he always made it a point to avoid transmitting idle chatter simply out of common sense. "Judicial, this is _Pride of_ _Trandosha_. Be advised: Our transponder is offline, and as citizens of the Republic we have a right to freedom of travel. Over."

The moment he switched off the transmitter, the first mate informed the rest of the crew of their situation while the Judicials answered the captain's response with a, "I sworn an oath to support and defend the Galactic Constitution, _Trandosha_. However, in light of kidnappings of Wookiees on the planet of Kashyyyk, we have been authorized to interdict and search all suspicious vessels. Please shut down your sublight engines and prepare to be boarded, do you copy? Over."

The captain groaned before replying. "Very well, Judicial. Stand by."

The lead Trandoshan slaver then ordered his first mate to cut their ion engines before activating the PA system before addressing his men. "Listen up, boys. We got a Republic boarding party inbound, so grab your blasters. But set to stun, I repeat, _set to stun_. I'm not going soft; if we take hostages, the Judicials will have to let us go."

The captain turned to his first mate. "Set an escape vector, I want us ready to leave the system immediately. Even if we can't catch any Wookiees, we still have the boy."

A tractor beam ensnared the freighter and pulled it to the starboard airlock.

The captain smiled as he loaded his heavy blaster pistol and set it to stun. _You pathetic Judicials are lucky we need you alive..._

The port airlock opened after the two ships connected...and was illuminated by a purple lightsaber.

"JEDI!"

Unfortunately (for the Trandoshans), the Republic won the day with no casualties. If not for their extraordinary bad luck, their plan may have succeeded.

 _How ironic,_ Master Mace Windu of the Jedi Council reflected later. _These slavers took this boy-apparently, his name is Chad Skywalker; why they even bothered to learn his birth name, I will never know-and because of being sold to pay off a debt born of greed, he will have a better future as a Jedi._

 **ME: A/N: Yeah, I lampshaded the fact those Trandoshans had horrible luck that day and they bothered to learn a slave's birth name. Though in the case of the latter, just say those slavers didn't want to come up with anything original, though that was just so they could sell him with a name; as you see in the story, they don't view Chad as anything beyond a commodity.**

 **Should I continue this or leave it as a one shot? I hope this helped better integrate "Lieutenant Grand Moff Vader" into canon regardless and that y'all enjoyed this fanfic.**


	2. A Meeting

**ME: I have decided to continue the story of Chad Skywalker's fall to the dark side, if only to better integrate him into canon. Hopefully you guys will be entertained.**

It was a good day to be a youngling, Chad reflected.

Along with the rest of the Jedi Initiates from the Wolf Clan deemed ready for the Gathering (as it was called), he had found a kyber crystal in the caves of Ilum. After leaving the arctic world, Chad had patiently assembled a lightsaber while traveling back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. It was a significant accomplishment for the eight year old boy, especially since this was all done within a week.

The young Human male chatted with his three close friends; Serra Keto (a rebellious Human female one year younger than him), Barriss Offee (a six year old, by-the-book Mirialan female who hoped to become a healer), and Nahdar Vebb (an impulsive Mon Calamari male who hoped to become a healer like Barriss, in spite of his more forceful personality; he was also the oldest of the quarter, having just turned ten).

"Thank you for helping me with constructing my saber, Chad," Nahdar said.

"No thanks necessary," replied Chad. "It's your birthday, least I could do."

"You guys ever notice something about lightsaber design?" Serra asked.

Barriss shook her head, while Chad answered, "No."

"What have you noticed, Serra?" Nahdar inquired.

Serra tapped her dual lightsabers. "How practically no one uses a curved-hilt for their saber, with Master Dooku being one of the rare exceptions."

"It's simple, actually," Chad stated. "If it helps, Serra, I did some research on lightsaber design before the trip."

"Go ahead, Chad."

He took a deep breath. "The chief advantages of the curved-hilt design are more precise movement and increased flexibility in lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat, as well as the curved hilt giving more power when delivering overhand strikes and allowing the wielder to change the angle of their attacks by the merest fraction of a degree. However, the curved hilt makes it harder to deflect blaster fire than a conventional lightsaber; as a result, most Jedi stick to a conventional design out of practically for this era. Not like there's an entire army of Sith for us Jedi to fight nowadays, but plenty of ordinary criminal organizations like Black Sun and the Hutt Clan. On top of that, a curved-hilt lightsaber is more complex and harder to construct, plus a minor variation in the grip being necessary for optimum performance."

Nahdar whistled appreciatively. "By the Force, no wonder why that design's virtually extinct."

"Precisely, only I'd actually go for virtually nonexistent rather than virtually extinct."

Serra snorted. "Who needs a curved-hilt when you're planning to train in Jar'Kai like me? You guys should've gone the extra klick and gotten a second crystal like me, with two sabers I'll be able to maintain a strong offense and hold off more opponents if I ever have to go up against more than one Dark Jedi."

"True," Barriss admitted. "But if you become overly reliant on hacing two blades, you'll be at a disadvantage if you have to use only one saber for whatever reason. And what if you don't develop your abilities in the Force because of having two lightsabers? That's actually a noted flaw of numerous Jar'Kai practitioners."

"Not to mention the fact you won't be able to put all your weight behind your blows, Serra," Chad added, pinching her arm. "You wanna compensate for only having one hand per blade, you better bulk up fast."

She snorted and punched him in his arm. "I'd challenge you to a duel, Chad, but I'd easily win and Padawan Kenobi wants minimal fuss."

Chad rolled his eyes. "You know a guy can't hit a girl."

Serra glared. "Oh, trust me; I am not some prissy Alderaanian princess, Chad! I can take a punch or a kick far better than your average boy."

"Well..." He stated as he walked, before Chad rushed forward and tackled her.

Serra barely had time to widen her eyes in shock before his weight pinned her down. "Hey, get off me! This isn't funny, Chad!"

Nahdar politely chuckled, while Barriss groaned in exasperation.

Ten seconds later, their chaperone for the assignment, Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, walked in and shook his head.

"I swear," he began, "I am not training a Padawan if all you younglings are like this. I'll satisfy myself with Knighthood.

"Anyhow," the Padawan went on, "we'll be exiting hyperspace in just under two minutes. Grab your gear and get ready to leave."

"Padawan Kenobi," Chad asked as he got off Serra, who scowled at him, "is it true Master Qui-Gon Jinn is one of the less uptight Masters in the Order?"

Kenobi just frowned. "I'd rather not discuss my mentor's...eccentricities."

About five minutes later, they were back at the Temple. A Security Force officer walked up to him.

"Are you Initiate Chad Skywalker of Wolf Clan?" the guard asked.

"Yes, I am," answered Chad.

"Please follow me, youngling," he said. "Master Windu would like to speak with you, I'll take you to his quarters."

"Alright, officer. Thank you." What does Master Yoda's second-in-command want with me?

As promised, the guard led him to Master Windu's quarters and knocked.

"Initiate Skywalker's here, Master Windu."

"Thank you, guard. You may go."

"You wanted to see me, Master Windu?" Chad asked politely as the guard left.

"Yes, young one," the Korun member of the Jedi High Council replied. "Tell me...how would you like to become my Padawan?"

Chad gasped. "You want to take me as an apprentice, Master? I'm only eight..."

"Yes," Master Windu replied. "That was one of the reasons I was originally planning to not pick you...until I saw your file."

"Really, Master Windu? What did you find?"

"I found that you have the highest midichlorian count in your class. Not to mention the fact that you and your friends are, without a doubt, the top four students of Wolf Clan. I think you're ready-the real question, Chad Skywalker, is if you think you're ready to take the next step to become a Jedi Knight."

 **ME: A/N: I got the info for Jar'Kai and curved-hilt sabers off Wookieepedia. As for midichlorians-let's just say they're simply attracted to Force-sensitive individuals or something. Hopefully you guys like my explanation better than Lucas's.**

 **As for Mace not pointing out he actually found Chad and brought him to the Jedi Temple...there is a rule about attachments, so that's one reason to not bring it up and/or remind him about it. Plus Obi-Wan didn't tell Luke about Leia being his sister, so there is precedent for Jedi Masters withholding information as they see fit.**


	3. An Attempt At Diplomacy

**ME: It's now 32 BBY. Therefore, it is the time of the least popular movie in Star Wars history-so far.**

"Serra," Chad asked in the dining hall, "did you hear the latest from the Mid Rim?"

His friend nodded after swallowing a spoonful of soup. "Yeah, Chad. Apparently the Trade Fed's begun a blockade of Naboo in response to taxes on trade routes."

"Wait, that wasn't some joke?" Barriss stated. "Gunray, regardless of what one thinks of Neimoidians, is a businessman. The ships being used by the blockade could either be hauling cargo, protecting convoys, or both; that's not even counting the battle droids they could be using to protect Trade Federation assets. Instead, the Viceroy apparently is content wasting them to block off an entire market and hasn't resorted to, say, bribing a Senator if this really is a response to taxation."

"Maybe Gunray is about as intelligent as a politician," Nahdar added.

Both Serra and Chad laughed with the Mon Calamari, while Barriss shook her head. "Hate to ruin everyone's fun, Nahdar, but you could get in trouble for saying that."

"We serve the Republic, young Padawan. Not the delegates of the Senate."

The source of the deep, powerful bass voice was none other than Master Dooku, the instructor of Wolf Clan. An elderly and experienced Human, he had stopped taking missions after what many now called the Massacre of Galidraan and had decided to spend the rest of his days instructing younglings.

Barriss blushed, which was quite noticeable due to her olive complexion. "Apologies, Master Dooku. I was just worried about Padawan Vebb being punished for disrespecting the Senate."

Master Dooku sighed. "My dear, I was once like you-young, full of trust in the Galactic Congress and believing with all my heart that the corrupt and greedy members were outnumbered by honest and selfless Senators and Representatives." He shook his head. "I have disagreed with the Jedi High Council on more than one occasion, but when it comes to a certain legislature we are of the same mind. One must earn respect, so Nahdar really committed no offense worth a rebuke."

"On a different note, Master Dooku," Chad asked, "what do you think the response to the blockade will be?"

Dooku chuckled sadly. "That assumes either the Council or Supreme Chancellor Valorum acts unilaterally. The Senate will spend more time debating the regulation of artificial sweenters and accepting bribes, my boy. I wish that was an exaggeration, but it is not."

"Not that we _have_ anything to respond with, Chad," Nahdar added. "The Judicial Fleet, against the Fed's navy? They're glorified peacekeepers who can fight pirates and smugglers, not an actual military. Heck, even we can't do anything. What's a lightsaber gonna do against an ion cannon or turbolaser round?"

"Just be grateful the _Lucrehulks_ they use are all just modified merchant vessels," Serra stated before snorting. "Though even those can hold a weak planet like Naboo hostage, and I'm honestly surprised Gunray hasn't threatened to glass the Senate Rotunda."

"Maybe he's worried it'll crash the stock market," Chad suggested. "Not that any damage to his financial portfolio stopped Gunray from blocking any potential profits from Naboo."

"Regardless, Padawans," said Dooku, "enjoy your youth and do your best. May the Force be with us all."

Because Master Windu had to attend Council meetings in addition to mentoring Chad, the young Human boy frequently trained on his own or with other Jedi whenever the Council was in session.

Chad was headed to the Hangar, hoping to catch a glimpse of the starships that resided there. So far, he had only flown via simulators due to his young age and was eager to finally start flying.

 _One day when I've grown older, that'll change. Master Windu will-._

He stopped when Chad saw him walk in with Master Dooku, Master Qui-Gon Jinn (he hadn't met the eccentric Jedi Master before, but he had seen images of him), and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Master," he asked, "what's going on?"

His master sighed. "Unfortunately, my young apprentice, that's classified. Don't talk to anyone about this, okay? Not to any of the Knights or Masters, not even to your friends or their instructors. Even if you can trust them, they can let things slip. It'll be easier for Master Jin and Padawan Kenobi if you just keep this to yourself, okay?"

"Yes, Master." Chad guessed that it was about dealing with the Trade Fed blockade. But didn't say so. _Too bad Naboo doesn't have a planetary military, otherwise maybe they wouldn't need two Jedi._

"Good luck, Qui-Gon. May the Force be with you."

Chad smiled as he heard the words. Master Dooku was smart to wish his former Padawan luck, but the younger Jedi didn't think it was necessary.

After all, what did Qui-Gon have to fear from Gunray?

 **ME: A/N: Needless to say, Chad's thoughts will be Harsher in Hindsight.**

 **And yeah, I took a potshot or two at TPM's "plot." Lucas was kinda racist given the fact the Neimoidians all had Asian accents and clothing, sue me. If he can make Take Thats, so can I. At least I didn't make a blatant Jewish-analogue like Watto, the greedy merchant who has slaves, a big nose, a hat, and a beard.**


	4. Beginning of the End

**ME: Now time to get back to Chad Vader's origin story.**

It was difficult to watch the Galactic Congress debate via C-IGPAN (Coruscant-InterGalactic Public Affairs Network); mainly due to the mind boggling idiocy of it all.

"The Queen showed evidence!" Chad groaned. "Sure, she's fourteen, but how can they deny video evidence and not one, but _two_ Jedi backing up her claims?"

Nahdar snorted. "That sleemo Lot Dodd is claiming that the evidence has been falsified. What isn't up for debate is that Chancellor Valorum sent Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi to negotiate without approval from the Senate."

Serra pounded her fist on a table. "And we have, what, a few glorified tugs with weapons, shields, and armor bolted on as an afterthought? Even if the politicians think for once-oh wait, they can't-we may as well just toss a rock at the Trade Feds."

"And now Amidala's calling for a Vote of No Confidence against the Supreme Chancellor," Barriss said. "I wonder if the Senate will get around to freezing Trade Federation assets."

"First off," Chad replied, "at the federal level of Republic government, only the Judicials are authorized to seize bank accounts. Even then, because of a law passed last year they'll need a warrant-about the only useful thing the Senate did in the decade."

"And then Gunray will pass around a few bribes and get out of murdering Judicial Fleet sailors," Nahdar added. The Mon Calamari chuckled sadly. "No warrants will be issued."

Life went on; Master Windu attended Council sessions and trained Chad when he could. Whenever he couldn't, the younger Human studied with his friends and their mentors.

"Wanna know what I'm grateful for, Barriss?" Chad asked.

The Mirialan girl raised an eyebrow. "No, Chad, but we have a lot to be grateful for."

"I'm grateful that we're being trained by Masters instead of Knights," he answered. "The fact Masters Windu, Drallig, Unduli, and Fisto are all Masters mean they've either successfully trained a Padawan before or must've done something great to get promoted. With a Jedi Knight as a Master, that means they just passed their Trials of Knighthood. That's great and all, but they have no real experience as a teacher. Honestly I'm wondering if I'll ever be a decent Master if they assign me a Padawan as a Knight."

"It is good that you appreciate your luck and are concerned about the future, Padawan Skywalker."

The two students turned to find Master Dooku and Master Luminara Unduli.

"Is it true, Master Dooku?" Chad asked.

"About what?" The older man said.

"That Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi encountered a Sith Lord."

Master Unduli shook her head. "Impossible, Padawan. The Jedi Council has not sensed this supposed Sith Lord; most likely the individual is simply a Dark Jedi. A danger, yes, but not a Sith."

Master Dooku shook his head. "Regardless of my former Padawan's views, he is not prone to exaggeration of an encounter. This-."

Suddenly his eyes widened and the elderly Jedi Master widened his eyes before screaming in pain and falling unconscious.

"Master Dooku?!" Master Unduli gasped as she held him.

"What happened, Master?" Barriss stated, her voice rising in alarm.

The older Mirialan looked up at the two Padawans. "Barriss, help me with him. Chad, get help."

Master Unduli was a formal person, so her using Chad's given name alarmed him as he raced towards the nearest Temple Security guards.

"Master Dooku fell unconscious, he needs medical attention!"

One of the guards spoke into his comlink, while the second one followed him back to Master Dooku.

A few hours later, Master Windu approached Chad with a somber look on his face.

"It appears that we underestimated the threat reported by Master Jinn, Chad," he said. "Padawan Kenobi reports that he was able to defeat and kill the Sith Lord they encountered, but Master Jinn was mortally wounded."

Chad paled. "That's why Master Dooku fainted!"

"Indeed. Fortunately, however, the Trade Federation has been defeated on Naboo. The droid army has been shut down and the Queen was able to arrest Viceroy Gunray. The Judicial Forces will send peacekeeping troops to maintain order and help relief efforts until the local government has been reestablished."

A day later, while Master Yoda, Master Windu, and a few other Masters were en route to Naboo along with the newly elected Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, Sheev Palpatine (formerly the Senator of the Chommel Sector).

Chad dueled with Serra, who clearly had been training hard since he had a hard time maintaining a defense against her Jar'Kai attacks.

"Chad, Serra?"

Both Padawans deactivated their sabers and bowed. "Master Dooku!"

The grandfatherly man shook his head. "I am afraid I am no longer a Jedi Master, my former charges. I am leaving the Order."

"Wait, what?" Serra exclaimed.

"Master Dooku, you can't!" Chad protested.

"I can and I must," Master Dooku replied. "The Galactic Republic is crumbling under the corruption of the Senate, and the Jedi Order has become too complacent to serve under. Chad, you and I both know Master Windu and the other Councilors didn't believe Qui-Gon's report, and now he's dead."

"If the reports of the Sith surviving are true, Master Dooku," Master Drallig protested, "we need you now more than ever."

Master Dooku chuckled sadly. "Unfortunately, I can clearly do no good here. Chad?"

"Yes, Master?"

Dooku handed him two envelopes, one marked OBI-WAN and the other marked MASTER WINDU.

"Give these letters to their respective recipients. Good luck, young one. May the Force be with you and your friends."

 **ME: I based Dooku's reaction to Qui-Gon dying/being stabbed off *spoilers* Ahsoka sensing Vader in _The Siege of Lothal_.**


	5. Reunion

**ME: Time for more of Chad. Also includes a Shout Out to _7-hot feanorians of Deviantart_.**

"He's really gone."

Barriss sighed in response. "I know, Chad. Master Dooku left the Jedi Order because of what happened on Naboo."

Chad wanted to refer to Dooku as _Master Dooku_ , but had finally ceased doing so in his mind-it was what the elderly man had wanted, after all. The closest thing he had to a grandfather was gone, and there was nothing he could have done to stop it.

"Master Yoda has reported in," said Master Fisto, Nahdar's mentor. "They have left Naboo and will enter hyperspace shortly. By the way, Obi-Wan has become a Jedi Knight."

 _At the cost of Master Jinn._ It went unsaid, of course, but being Knighted couldn't have made up for his death.

Days later, the ship landed and the Jedi passengers aboard exited.

"Master Windu!" Chad said as he ran towards them. "Master Kenobi!"

The bald Korun male stopped him with a raised hand. "Slow down, Chad. What is it?"

He held out the two letters he carried in the pocket of his robe. "Letters from former Master Dooku, who has resigned and left the Order."

Master Kenobi's eyes widened. "Master Dooku has resigned?"

"Yes, Master Kenobi."

"Cost us both Master Jinn and Master Dooku," Master Yoda began, "our underestimating the Sith Lord has."

Master Windu nodded with a resigned look on his face. "Master Yoda is right, Chad. On a more positive note, how would you like to meet your brother?"

A young boy about Chad's age stepped into view. He was at least a little shorter and thinner than Chad, and had blond hair and blue eyes.

"My name is Anakin Skywalker," he said, extending his right hand.

Chad readily shook it. "I'm Chad Skywalker."

He looked to Master Kenobi, who explained, "We took blood samples, and while I was on Tatooine Shmi discussed a twin brother of Anakin named Chad Skywalker. He was taken from her while he was still a baby, which coincides with when you were found by Master Windu.

Chad nodded, still shocked that he had a brother but managing to keeping it off his face.

"I believe you now, Master," he replied. "Thank you for explaining."

"You're welcome, Chad," Master Kenobi said. "Anakin is to be my Padawan."

Now Chad raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were to be brought in early. No offense, Anakin, but you're a bit old."

"You're not the first person to say that, but no offense taken."

Master Windu shook his head and sighed. "Extenuating circumstances, Chad. Anakin may be too old according to standard procedure, but he is possibly the Chosen One and the Force is strong with him."

Chad smirked. "Oh, Barriss is gonna be ticked that you bent the rules. Heck, she probably has an internal rule-breaking scanner that detects broken regulations."

"Who is Barriss?"

"One of Chad's friends," Master Windu answered for him. "After Master Kenobi gets you situated, you can meet them."

As soon as that was done, Chad introduced Anakin to his three best friends.

"Anakin, these are my friends Serra, Nahdar, and Barriss. Serra, Nahdar, and Barriss, this is Anakin; turns out he's my twin brother."

After that little fact was explained, Serra asked, "Hey, how exactly was the Fed's army deactivated? From what I heard, some Naboo pilot fired a couple of proton torpedoes into the reactor of the control ship and blew it up."

Barriss frowned. "Impossible, fusion reactors don't blow up. This isn't some poorly researched holofilm; in reality fusion reactions need a precisely controlled environment and, rather than meltdown, would just stop. You'd have to take out the magnetic containment fields holding it in place while the reaction was still functioning properly in order to vaporize the warship, but unless there was a delay between the torpedoes hitting and the containment failure you wouldn't have the time to get away."

Nahdar shrugged. "I read something off HoloNet News; a former employee of the Techno Union Research and Development Wing claimed that the Techno Union had sold a prototype hypermatter reactor to the Trade Fed. Gunray was interested because the reactors, like hyperdrives, extract hyperparticles from space and use the self-annihilation of hyperparticles in order to generate power. All you'd need is the right design for your power needs and you could keep your starship going indefinitely."

Anakin frowned. "I was raised as a slave on Tatooine, but I feel like there's a catch."

Nahdar winced before continuing. "Sure you'd never need to stop to refuel, but if your reactor siphon can't extract hyperparticles, you're dead in space. Admittedly fusion reactors have a similar problem, but it's easier and cheaper to store fuel for them. And if anything goes wrong, you could get an explosion."

"Too bad for the Union, then," Chad added. "Looks like their little pet project will never get off the ground. What idiot would use a hypermatter reactor?"

 **ME: Well, this was a Breather Episode (or Chapter). Now Chad and Anakin have met for the first time in their lives.**

 **Hypermatter, like antimatter, looks good on paper but ultimately is pretty unsafe as a power source. You can justify it for FTL/hyperspace if fusion can't produce the needed energy, but otherwise it's a bit too dangerous. Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, Governor of the Outer Rim, can personally testify on the dangers of a hypermatter reactor.**


	6. Crisis Assignment

**ME: Now time for my reimagination of AOTC.**

Chad had become a Jedi Knight shortly after turning twenty.

 _But hey,_ Serra reflected, _that wasn't a surprise to me at all._ Her friend had the highest midichlorian count in their clan, he was one of the top four, and trained by Master Windu himself, who had managed to earm the rank of Jedi Master at _twenty-eight_.

 _Vaapad-Form Seven on_ steroids _. Master Windu invented it, and when Chad got the hang of it he was pretty deadly. It doesn't hurt that he's fairly attractive-._

Quit _it, Serra. Regardless of what the Code says, both you and Chad have your entire careers ahead of you. Not like you have much options outside the Order anyway..._

Her wrist comlink beeped; it was Master Drallig.

"Yes, Master?" Serra answered.

"Serra, the Underworld Police have requested assistance for an important case. I've been assigned to provide backup; in the meantime, you're paired up with Jedi Knight Chad Skywalker. Do you copy, over?"

"Copy that, Master."

"May the Force be with you, my apprentice. Drallig out."

Serra made her way to Chad's quarters, bumping into Barriss on the way.

"Sorry, Barriss," she apologized. "I got orders from Master Drallig to report to Chad."

"It's alright, Serra," the younger Padawan replied, remaining polite and serene as usual. Barriss was always the more reserved of the group. "By the way, Nahdar broke an arm yesterday; he'll be fine, but he's gonna need time to heal."

"Damn," was the response from Serra. "Alright, pass on a, 'Get well soon,' from me."

Finally Serra made it to her destination and knocked on the door.

 _I'm nineteen, I'm trained in Jar'Kai, and I'm more than ready for the Trials,_ she thought. _Come on, that Senator Amidala woman was elected as Queen of Naboo at_ fourteen _._

 _Wait-not a_ good _example. What idiot would willingly_ elect _some naïve fourteen year old girl as head of state? Sure, there are elective monarchies, and I'm sure in the hereditary ones a fourteen year old may be eligible to_ inherit _the throne._

 _But elected? Seriously?_

The door opened, and she smiled. "Hi, Chad!"

He smiled back. "Hello, Serra." Puberty and training under Master Windu had done Chad good; he was tall and fit, with a black crew cut and inviting green eyes.

 _C'mon, Serra; you can be friends and even have sex, but no attachments. Though I wonder who had the bright idea of allowing_ lust _but not love?_

"I've been assigned to you as a partner _temporarily_ , Chad," she said. "Master Drallig is...occupied."

Chad shrugged. "Got it, I'm not gonna ask why. Anyhow, you get recommended for the Trials yet?"

Serra signed. "No. Nahdar and I are close, though, and Barriss is only a few years at most since she's eighteen and already a talented healer. We got a mission? Because maybe then I'll finally become a Knight."

Her friend laughed. "Heh, Anakin feels the same way. And yeah, we do; we're to RV with Obi-Wan and Anakin at the hangar."

"What's the assignment?" She asked as the two Jedi started to head towards the hangar.

"He wouldn't say over comms," Chad answered. "Said it was confidential."

"Figures, what with the attempted assassination on Senator Amidala and all," Serra stated. "Damn, even Coruscant isn't safe from the Separatist Crisis."

Chad sighed. "Yeah, the Confederates must be getting pissed. Of course, while violence shouldn't be your only option, I can't really blame them considering how corrupt the Senate is."

The two made it to the hangar, where Anakin and Master Kenobi were waiting.

"Master Kenobi," she greeted with a bow. "Anakin."

"Good to see you and Chad made it, Serra," the bearded Jedi Knight replied.

"Objective, Obi-Wan?" Chad asked.

"I'll tell you when we reach our destination." The older man turned to a Devaronian girl who looked about thirteen. "Alright, Sanya, we're ready to go."

The kid, who was dressed in purple robes and had purple eyes as well in addition to black hair, nodded. "Of course, Master Kenobi. Here's the sky shuttle."

The sky shuttle didn't look combat capable and was useless in space (Serra wasn't as great a pilot as either Anakin or Chad, but even she noticed the lack of ion engines; plus the likely inadequate hull strength and shielding, along with lack of a life support system), but one got what one paid for and it was undoubtedly cheap enough for the job.

Sanya, she noticed, didn't have the usual braid or equivalent for apprentices. "Are you a Padawan, Sanya?"

The Devaronian shook her head. "No, Padawan Keto. I'm AgriCorps; I'm gonna be sent to Ukio tomorrow."

Chad raised an eyebrow. "I thought Initiates were normally assigned to the Service Corps at sixteen if not picked by a Knight or Master, and you definitely aren't sixteen."

"Chad," Master Kenobi began to scold, "that's-."

"I actually volunteered, Master Skywalker." Sanya briefly turned around. "Sorry to interrupt, Master Kenobi, but it's alright. I'm not offended, I just thought my destiny wasn't to wield a lightsaber."

The sky shuttle took off and headed towards 500 Republica. Master Kenobi spoke into the comlink and got them cleared for landing.

"Thank you, Sanya," he said when they landed. "That will be all, may the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi."

Serra gave Sanya a pat on the back. "Thanks for the ride, Sanya."

"Same here," Chad complimented as well. "Might wanna get the Ukians to let you fly a crop duster, tell 'em Jedi Knight Chad Skywalker recommended it."

The Devaronian girl blushed as she thanked them before taking off.

"Alright," Master Kenobi began as they entered a turbolift. "Serra, Chad, Anakin, we've been assigned to protect Senator Amidala of the Chommel Sector. There was a recent assassination attempt that she survived without injury, but it killed multiple members of her protective detail. Along with a team of Senate Commandos and a liaison officer from the Coruscant Security Force, we're reinforcing the RNSF detachment. The Chancellor and Jedi Council both feel that additional security is needed in light of the attempt on Senstor Amidala's life."

Chad raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I understand that the Commandos are the Senate Guard's equivalent of a CSF SWAT team, but what's a local cop doing here? Last time I checked, the Guard had exclusive jurisdiction over the Senate District."

"Politics, Chad," Master Kenobi replied with a sigh. "The Senate Guard may have concurrent jurisdiction over Coruscant with the regular police and the Republic Security Force, but we need the cooperation of the CSF on this matter for maximum effectiveness."

"One more thing, guys," Anakin cut in.

"What's that, Anakin?" Serra asked.

The other Padawan smiled. "It may have been a long time since I've seen either of them, but I'm sure...Representative Binks...is the same as always."

The door opened, and a Gungan-the native sentient species of Naboo-walked into view.

"Obi, Obi! Mesa so glad to see yousa again after a decade! Ani, is that yousa? Yousa grown so much! And yousa brought mesa new palos!"

"Oh, _kriff_ ," Chad and Serra muttered simultaneously.

 **ME: A/N: Sanya is not an OC, but a character from _TCW's_ webcomics-which unfortunately were cancelled after Season 3. And that was _after_ they gained unique story arcs separate from the show.**

 **Also, I had Serra lampshade the young age of Padmé when she was elected. Yes, there are elective monarchies, and yes, there are fourteen year-old monarchs, but one who was _elected_ at _fourteen_?**

 **I'm sure this was because the Humans of Naboo gave the Gungans the vote. Though I'm more worried about stuff like the age of consent in Star Wars. Is pederasty legal?**

 **On a less squicky/Fridge Horror-inducing note-sorry about that, BTW-I hope y'all enjoyed the tension between Chad and Serra. But don't worry, there isn't any *Sarcasm Mode engaged* potential for Code-violating between the two.**

 **Also, I had Chad sympathize with the CIS because of the bureaucracy and corruption of the Republic. Who would want to pay taxes to a Senate run by the likes of Orn Free Taa?**

 **Jar Jar-please introduce yourself to your new friends carefully. Very, _very_ carefully.**

 **Final note: I'm thinking of "novelizing" _TCW_ to a certain extent. If so, should I keep this in the Rebels archive or put it in the crossover archive?**

 **My priority, of course, is to ensure the maximum amount of readers can view this for their enjoyment. Keep that in mind when you decide, people.**

 **Finally-thanks to fellow authors _ForFutureReference_ and _Ahsokafanboy1138_ for their support. You guys are the best and have helped me keep this story going. Your feedback (be they PMs or reviews) has always been appreciated.**


	7. Cloak

**ME: Time for Padmé to make her debut.**

Her Majesty's Government condemns the attempted murder of Senator Padmé Amidala and the murder of multiple members of her security detail. Her Majesty, Queen Jamilla, says that she is grateful Senator Amidala continues to stand in spite of this barbaric attack both for Naboo and the other worlds in the Chommel sector.

 **(Prime Minister Sio Bibble of Naboo, addressing HoloNet News)**

"Senator Amidala! Mesa palos are here!"

Padmé sighed. Jar Jar may have been a clumsy individual, but he was good natured and the older Gungan, unlike many of her fellow Congresspeople, genuinely cared for his constituents.

Four Jedi were present in the room. In addition to Anakin and Obi-Wan, there was a young man and a young woman. The man, who resembled Anakin apart from his black hair and green eyes, was dressed in black and white Jedi robes. The woman, on the other hand, had a more feminine (albeit tomboyish) and athletic outfit; she wore a sleeveless shirt and fingerless gloves as well as leggings tucked into durable boots and a miniskirt worn over said leggings. Her black hair was tied into a pair of side tails and what looked like a ponytail, though unlike the man she had blue eyes.

"Glad to see you safe and well, milday," Obi-Wan greeted politely. "This is Anakin's twin brother, Jedi Knight Chad Skywalker. This is Padawan Serra Keto, a good friend of both of them."

"Master Kenobi," she replied, "it's been too long. And thank all of you for coming."

Padmé smiled as she looked at Anakin. "Ani, you've grown."

"You've grown too," he replied, inciting a laugh from Serra. "More beautiful, I mean," Anakin stuttered. "For a Senator."

His brother chuckled. "Too late, kriffed it up."

"Chad..." Obi-Wan scolded.

"It's alright, Master Kenobi." She sighed. "I've heard and said worse. You're still the model Padawan I met on Naboo. Just as Ani will always be that little boy I met on Tatooine."

Chad spoke up. "Senator Amidala, ma'am, Obi-Wan mentioned that a team of Senate Commandos and a CSF liaison were assigned to beef up security as well."

"Indeed," Padmé replied. "I suppose you want to meet them."

She led the four Jedi to the five LEOs in question. Three men and one women were wearing the blue full body armor of the Senate Commandos, while the CSF guy was dressed in SWAT gear but the helmet was off.

"Lieutenant Obrim, Sergeant Divo," Padmé said, "I'd like you to meet Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Chad Skywalker as well as Padawans Serra Keto and Anakin Skywalker."

Obrim nodded as he shook hands. "Jaller Obrim, Master Jedi. I'm looking forward to working with all of you."

"Tan Divo," said the CSF officer. "I'm an Inspector in the Coruscant Security Force. Normally this would be outside my jurisdiction, but due to corruption in both the Senate and the Guard as well as the assassination attempt, my organization has gotten involved."

The Senate Commando Lieutenant sighed. "Divo, you're on liaison duty even if you've geared up appropriately. CSF is not going to get involved beyond you unless the assassin makes another attempt on Senator Amidala's life."

"Which, with all due respect, sir, he will-."

"-and we will prevent from succeeding, Sergeant," a new voice said. Padmé knew it belonged to the excellent, if paranoid, head of her security detail. "Captain Gregar Typho of the Royal Naboo Security Force, Master Jedi."

Chad nodded. "Captain, do you have any possible leads on whoever's behind these murder attempts?"

Typho frowned. "Too many, Master Jedi. Disgruntled citizens, Viceroy Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation, those who stand to profit from a war, the more hawkish supporters of the Military Creation Act..."

"I believe we can scratch Gunray off the list, Captain," Serra spoke up.

"Wait, what?" The Captain demanded.

Padmé frowned. "Why Gunray, of all people? He brought war to my planet out of greed!"

Divo shook his head. "Senator Amidala, are you bigoted in any form towards Non-Humans?"

She glared at him. "Why would you say that, Inspector? I helped rebuild relations between my people and the Gungans as Queen, and my father's greatest ally was Senator Onaconda Farr of Rodia."

Chad cleared his throat. "Ma'am, the courts acquitted him due to that Sith Lord Master Kenobi defeated coercing him into starting the blockade before forcing him to launch the invasion-and, of course, bribery on Gunray's part. The evidence was obtained under the oversight of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, though the official reason was that said Sith was just an above average Dark Jedi to avoid causing a panic. Moreover, Viceroy Gunray's actions did not make any sense whatsoever. Seriously, if it was about trade routes and/or taxation it would have made much more sense to simply bribe the necessary Senators."

"I suppose that makes at least some sense, Chad," Obi-Wan said. "Regardless, milday, we will be on high alert. The assassin will not succeed."

 ***CUT TO: USCRU ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, CORUSCANT UNDERWORLD***

Being an officer of the Underworld Police was a thankless job, where one was typically strained even more than the men and women who patrolled Galactic City. The Underworld was full of dangerous criminals, ranging from Black Sun enforcers to thugs from local gangs. As a result, even the beat cops consistently wore full body armor for protection that also concealed their faces. The reason for this was twofold; it would make them more intimidating, a necessity on the lower levels, and keep the police and their loved ones from being targeted.

 _Keep it up,_ vode _. Feel free to crack some deadbeat's skull, with a Senator dead no one will bother you over it._

Zam Wesell Fett glanced at the container and groaned. "Really, _Jan'ika_? Why not use thermal detonators to kill the _di'kutla_ Senator? Or just self-destruct the droid? Not like we were subtle the last time."

Jango sighed. "Tyranus is paying us to do it this way, Zam. For all we know, he _wants_ Amidala to be driven off Coruscant. All I care about is getting paid and getting back to Boba."

"Very well," she replied. "Though I'm honestly wondering if we should kill Binks for a bonus."

"And risk pissing him off for going beyond our job description?" He said. "That _osik_ won't fly."

 _Oh well. Hope you didn't waste your childhood filing paperwork, Amidala. Because your life is probably gonna be over very soon._

 **ME: A/N: Hope y'all enjoyed this.**

 **Like any good cop from a TV show, Divo is so by-the-book and rigid, he's a LEO version of Obi-Wan. Beard not included.**

 **Hopefully I described Serra right.**

 **And yeah, I lampshaded the stupidity of the assassination attempt on Padmé.**


	8. Dagger

**ME: Now time for Padmé to get attacked by...centipedes.**

The Republic is the worst kind of dictatorship, my master. It is a pseudo-democracy; it smiles and waves until a planet votes to secede. The Galactic Senate is a den of vipers that has no place in a government.

 **(COUNT DOOKU, DISCUSSING POLITICS WITH HIS SITH MASTER, SUPREME CHANCELLOR SHEEV PALPATINE)**

"Jar Jar is a paradox."

Anakin listened as Serra responded with a, "Wait, what?"

Chad: "He simply defies all logic and understanding. Representative Binks is the best case against both evolution and a benevolent deity. While no creature would evolve naturally into such an idiot, what kind of benevolent God would subject us to _him_?"

Anakin cleared his throat. "Punishment for our collective sins?" He suggested. "Considering what happens in the Underworld..."

"Focus, everyone," Obi-Wan chided. "Anakin, you should be watching the Senator."

"She covered up the cameras," he replied. "She doesn't like me watching her."

"Red Flag Number One," Chad joked. "Creepy surveillance."

"Thankfully, we got Artoo in her room," Serra cut in before Anakin could complain. "At least we have that, Master Kenobi."

"As the bombing shows," Obi-Wan spoke up, "one does not have to be physically present to kill someone."

Anakin smiled. "But the good Senator wants answers and we also want to capture the assassin, Master. Don't we?"

The bearded Jedi Knight recoiled. "You three are using her for bait?"

"Correction," said Chad. "Neither Serra nor I were informed. Also, considering a certain someone who has a crush on her, odds are Amidala consented to it or even came up with the idea."

"No one is consenting to anything!" Obi-Wan snapped. He then looked the younger Jedi in the eye. "You aren't sleeping well, are you?" He said in a calmer tone.

"Yeah, I've just been tired," Anakin replied.

"Is it about Mother?" Chad asked.

He nodded. "I keep dreaming about her, I don't know why."

"Probably because you spent a lot more time with your mother than Chad did," Serra offered. "Not too many orthodox Jedi remember their parents, Anakin."

"Regardless," Obi-Wan told him, "dreams pass in time, young one."

"I'd much rather dream about Padmé," Anakin confessed. "Just being around her is...intoxicating."

Obi-Wan frowned. "Your thoughts betray you, my young apprentice. You have made a commitment to the Jedi Order, a commitment not easily broken. And don't forget, she's a politician. Do not trust her or any other Congressional delegate."

Anakin consciously avoided rolling his eyes; the last thing he needed was another lecture. "She's not like the other Senators, Master." Even Jar Jar isn't, but that Gungan...klutz...is not a good example.

"It is my experience," Obi-Wan stated, "that those in Congress focus only on pleasing those who fund their campaigns. Or-in the case of Senators, in light of them being elected by their sector legislatures rather than democratically like the Representatives-pleasing lesser politicians who put them in office. And neither groups are scared of forgetting the niceties of democracy in order to maintain their powers and privileges."

"Please, Master Kenobi," Serra groaned, "not another lecture."

Chad coughed and tapped his wrist comlink. "Captain Typho, this is Skywalker. Gimme a sitrep, over."

Typho: "Master Jedi, the perimeter has been secured. I have patrols on the move, Lieutenant Obrim's team is on their way now."

"Copy, Captain," Chad replied. "Skywalker out."

Just as the four Senate Commandos and Divo came into view along with one of Padmé's handmaidens, Anakin felt something _bad_ and went for his lightsaber, as did the others.

"I sense it, too," Obi-Wan said.

All four Jedi rushed into the room, where they found two wormlike beasts. Without hesitation, Anakin ignited his lightsaber and sliced the creatures in half.

"Perimeter breach!" Chad yelled.

Padmé awakened (and, naturally, was horrified), while both he and Obi-Wan noticed the one responsible for the creatures; an assassin droid hovering just outside the room.

Anakin was about to shout at the Commandos to shoot the droid when his master jumped through the window and grabbed hold of the droid.

"Son of a bitch!" Both he and his brother cursed.

Serra groaned. "And people say _we're_ reckless?"

Chad took action. "Lieutenant Obrim, you and Dormé secure the Senator and call for backup immediately! Anakin, Serra, Sergeant Divo, with me! LT, we're gonna need to borrow your keys."

The keys to the Senate Commmando airspeeders were tossed over without complaint while a Commando and Dormé helped Padmé. "Don't scratch 'em, Master Jedi."

The three Jedi and one CSF officer ran towards the landing platform, which contained the two airspeeders they were looking for.

"Anakin, get Obi-Wan!" Chad ordered him. "Serra, Divo, with me!"

"Right," Anakin obeyed. _I_ _am gonna bring this up_ every _time Obi-Wan tries to lecture me._

He started his airspeeder and soon was on his master's tail.

 ***CUT TO: USCRU ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT***

" _Osik_ ," Zam cursed. _The_ aruetiise _just love their stupid, overcomplicated plots, don't they?_

She hailed her husband via a secure channel. "Bad news, Jango. As expected, the Senator's still alive."

"Not your _shabiir_ , _Zam'ika_ ," Jango replied. "Anything else?"

"Some _Jetii_ is taking a joy ride on the damn droid," she answered.

"Wait, how the fuck is that possible?"

The Clawdite Mandalorian sighed. "I know, I'm gonna need a drink after this as well. The Jetiise tend to be a bunch of repressed baby-thieving hypocrites at best, but this one stands out. The droid's self-destruct system malfunctioned, so I'm gonna have to take it out manually."

Jango: " _Cy'arika_ , no! It's too much of a risk!"

Zam shook her head even though he couldn't see her. "Don't worry, I got a FEL rifle just for this occasion. And as a proud female _Mando'ad_ , I'm not that delicate."

The "FEL" in question was a free-electron laser sniper rifle. Equipped with two barrels (one for conventional laser beams, the other for electrolaser rounds), the laser rifle did not have the firepower of an equivalent blaster one (due to particle beams packing kinetic energy as well due to mass) but produced no recoil, moved at the speed of light, and was much more discreet.

The Jedi _di'kut_ came into range. After selecting the appropriate barrel and power setting, Zam aimed for his chest and fired.

 **ME: A/N: Enjoy the cliffhanger and Lampshade Hanging.**

 **Senators being elected by their sector legislatures is a reference to the way the United States Senate was elected prior to the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment. It's a simple case of Reality Ensues as well-imagine trying to campaign on not just one planet or moon, but multiple other worlds.**


	9. The Underworld

**ME: Now for Obi-Wan to fall...to the power of gravity.**

Unlike _Jan'buir_ , Boba, I support gun control. I try to use both hands.

 **(Zam Wesell Fett, joking with her son Boba)**

It was as if a bolt of lightning struck Obi-Wan in the chest.

 _Electrolaser round-capable of killing, but odds are this one was less-than-lethal. It's less effective than a standard round and more visible, plus I can still sense Obi-Wan in the Force._

"Anakin!" Chad ordered his brother. "Rescue Obi-Wan, we'll go after the killer!"

"I'm on it!" His twin replied. "Hope you and your girlfriend have fun."

"Right," said Chad, though he then blushed. "Wait, Anakin! Serra's not my-."

"-just keep moving!" Serra yelled.

An airspeeder rose up.

"CSF Dispatch, this is Jedi Knight Chad Skywalker," he said as the chase began. "Be advised: We are in pursuit of the suspect, I say again, we are in pursuit."

"Copy, Master Jedi," replied a female dispatcher. "Interrogative: Do you require backup? Over."

"Negative, Dispatch," Chad responded. "I have another airspeeder with me already, diverting CSF officers will just put ordinary citizens in danger. Skywalker out."

Serra gripped her controls. "Blaster cannons are operational, Chad. If you want, I can take him-or her-out."

"Hold your fire for now," he replied. "We probably should try and take the assassin alive for interrogation, plus I'm worried about collateral damage."

"Anakin to Chad, I got Obi-Wan. Repeat, I got him. Trying to rejoin you guys now."

Chad smiled. "Good to hear that, let's try and bring this creep in."

The assassin was a good pilot. No matter how long Chad kept on his tail, he kept evading.

"SAM watch! SAM watch!" Divo yelled.

A missile was streaking in towards them.

 _Shit._ "Flares! Flares!" Chad yelled.

"I'm trying, the controls aren't that familiar!" Serra replied.

Despite all their efforts, the SAM slammed into the airspeeder and detonated. The electronics of the vehicle began to spark and the repulsorcraft began to lose altitude.

"Ion warhead!" Serra reported. "We've lost all power, we're going down!"

"Sergeant," Chad asked, "you got your rifle?"

"It's a carbine, but yes," the cop answered. "Why-."

The Jedi Knight promptly threw the CSF officer out of the airspeeder then turned to Serra. "You help Divo land, I'll handle this bird."

His tomboyish friend didn't even waste time responding verbally, instead jumping out.

 _Stang,_ Chad reflected as he bailed out himself. _If this thing isn't slowed down, it could very well kill some random pedestrian. It's why I didn't want to eject or crash land._

To Divo's credit, in spite of his screaming the Sergeant still kept a firm grip on his carbine. Chad used the Force to glide past him and land along with Serra.

"Get out of the way!" The Jedi Knight yelled to the nearby civilians before stopping the airspeeder in midair. To their credit, he was able to gently land the repulsorcraft without even damaging a vendor's stand.

"We're in the forsaken part of the planet now, Master Skywalker," Divo told him. Having gotten up (and thanked Serra for slowing him down), the CSF officer flipped down his visor and polarized it. The Underworld Police dressed the way they did for a reason, and even surface cops knew it.

"I know," Chad replied, tossing his cloak over to Serra. "We're gonna need a new ride."

"Thanks," she said. "At least we didn't scratch our old one."

Chad tapped at his wrist comlink. "Anakin, come in. We've landed safely, bro. Where are you?"

"Trying to find you guys," his brother responded. "I'll trace your comlink."

"Ugh," Obi-Wan groaned. "What happened?"

"Copy," Chad said, deciding it would be best to let Anakin explain to his idiot of a mentor. "Chad out."

He turned back to Serra. "Keep the hood on, you don't wanna get identified...or taken alive."

The younger Jedi noticeably tensed but nodded. "Not as good as Divo's visor, but this thing's not just decent for warmth."

Anakin and Obi-Wan's airspeeder came into view, with Obi-Wan having an annoyed look on his face as he got out of the vehicle.

"You didn't try and keep him from going to you?" The bearded Jedi asked. "Chad, the mission was to catch the assassin!"

 _Oh,_ kark _politeness._ "Obi-Wan," the younger Jedi Knight said through clenched teeth, "you are in no position to criticize any of us. You are the idiot who thought jumping out of a window onto a droid you could've missed-assuming it could even support your weight-was a great idea. I mean, you said our job was to protect Senator Amidala, but you left a less experienced Jedi Knight, my impulsive brother who's still a Padawan, and a 'reckless, brash, nineteen-year old tomboy' to protect said Senator along with a detachment of RNSF guards that were unable to detect the assassin droid in question. So please...shut up."

"I am not reckless," Serra snarked.

Obi-Wan winced. "All right, I accept that particular action was foolish. Let's just-."

"RPD!" Divo yelled.

Needless to say, a rocket propelled detonator-essentially a thermal detonator with a propulsion system-moved in and slammed into the functioning airspeeder, destroying it.

"Attack!"

Various gangbangers with weapons in the open approached. In response, five lightsaber blades ignited.

"Time to earn our pay, boys!" Said one of the thugs, undoubtedly the leader. "Kill the Jedi and the pig!"

One of the criminals aimed what looked like a slugthrower assault rifle at him. "Die, Jedi _sleemo_!"

 _Kriff,_ Chad reflected as he angled his lightsaber to block the shots. Compared to modern firearms (such as blasters or even helical railguns), the recoil was worse with slugthrowers due to their bullets being launched by chemical propellants and were harder to aim due to having ballistic trajectories. However, they were notably cheaper and easier to manufacture compared to modern weapons, slughthrowers required less maintenance, the rounds were less visible, immune to EMPs, and it was impossible to deflect a bullet.

The bastard fired a third burst, only for the weapon to jam after two shots (both of which were disintegrated by Chad's lightsaber blade).

 _Idiot-how hard can it be to clean something that has precisely_ zero _electronic parts?_

Another thug noticed his ally's plight and fired a blaster round at Chad. The Jedi Knight took advantage of the opportunity and deflected it in a manner that sent the red shot towards Gangbanger One, who was hit in the neck and went down with a gurgle.

"Stang!" Gangbanger Two yelled as he approached. The criminal went for a vibroblade and charged; the end result was him lying on the ground, clutching a cauterized stump and screaming in pain.

Between four Jedi and a cop, the remaining thugs had no chance. One by one they were cut down or shot (either by Divo or a deflected round).

"Who the hell are you guys?" Chad asked as he and Obi-Wan approached Gangbanger Two.

The thug snarled. "Your worst nightmare, kid! We own the streets!"

Chad rolled his eyes. "Then I trust you won't mind if we leave you to be dealt with by either Black Sun or some other independent criminal organization?"

"Wait, please!" The thug pleaded, his ego deflated at the thought of being abandoned to certain death.

"Citizen," Obi-Wan said, "your crimes include the attempted murder of four Jedi and the attempted murder of a police officer. If you tell us who hired you to attack us, I can arrange for you to be granted life without parole."

"Life without parole?" The younger Jedi Knight was tempted to just kick the criminal in the groin and leave him to die. " _That's_ the deal you're offering?"

"You heard him!" Serra snapped. "So tell us, scumbag, before we leave for either your buddies or enemies to find."

"Alright, alright!" Gangbanger Two said. "The boss said it was some Mando named-."

There was the suppressed report of a sniper rifle, and a bullet slammed into Two's chest.

 **ME: The RPD is basically the SW equivalent of an RPG, only in thermal detonator form.**

 **I hope y'all enjoyed Chad chewing out Obi-Wan for his hypocrisy.**

 **Helical railguns are basically a cross between conventional railguns and coilguns. Also, Jango should really avoid hiring thugs off the SW equivalent of Craigslist.**

 **As for Chad telling Serra she would prefer to not be taken alive...that was me addressing an important issue in real life.**

 **I stand by Zam's gun control joke.**

 **I'm wondering-should Chad and Serra come along with Anakin and Padmé, or remain on Coruscant for now? The former would change what happened on Tatooine and Geonosis a bit, while the latter would be somewhat more realistic, I suppose, in light of four people being more conspicuous than two aboard a refugee transport.**


	10. Investigation

**ME: Now for a long perspective from a certain...DNA donor.**

 _Mhi solus tome. Mhi solus dhar'tome. Mhi me'dinui an. Mhi ba'juri verde._

 **(Mandalorian wedding vows, exchanged between Jango Fett and Zam Wesell Fett among others. Translated into: "We are one together. We are one when parted. We share all. We will raise warriors.")**

Jango calmly watched as the bullet entered into the chest of the last standing member of the gang he had hired.

 _Still a better investment of time and creds than those worm-things,_ the Concord Dawn native reflected as he engaged his cloaking device. It didn't have a stygium crystal, so all he got out of the lightbending technology was visual camouflage. While Jango would've preferred not having an increased profile on infrared, stygium crystals (or synthesized crystals) were expensive and he doubted the Jedi or the cop accompanying them had thermal imaging tech. After all, he had used a suppressed sniper rifle, so it wasn't as if Jango had fired a flare into the air.

"Zam," he said via a secure channel, "prep for immediate exfil. I'm moving, what's your status? Over."

"Secure at the RV point, _Jan'ika_ ," she replied.

"Good, headed there now. Stay safe, _Zam'ika_. Out."

Very carefully the male bounty hunter made his way to just outside the garage where _Slave I_ was being stored. "Coming in through the backdoor."

"Acknowledged."

The last thing Jango wanted was to get a blaster bolt to the face because his wife thought the garage had been broken into by scum like Black Sun thugs.

After he throughly locked the backdoor (and moved a crate to keep it from being kicked or blown in easily), Jango entered the ship.

"What happened to that gang ya hired?" Zam asked, now dressed in green and blue _beskar'gam_ , as she prepped for takeoff.

" _Di'kutla chakaars_ got killed," he answered. "Specifically, all of them got taken down by the _Jetiise_ and the _aruetii cabur_ without ever landing a hit. I actually had to kill the last one because he somehow survived and the _di'kuts_ had the bright idea of interrogating him in the open. If I hadn't been able to snipe him, we'd be in the black without engines."

" _Osik_ ," she muttered as the Clawdite finished getting _Slave I_ ready. "No wonder why the Seps are growing stronger, how the hell can the Republic protect its citizens with stupid peacekeepers?"

He shrugged. "Politics aren't our concern, Zam. _Bob'ika_ is."

The Human tapped her on the shoulder. "Listen, you've done enough for the night. Go get some rest, I'll get us off this forsaken rock."

Zam grunted but agreed, getting out of the chair. "I'll be waiting for you, _cyar'ika_."

Between a mixture of a visual-only cloaking device, photoreactive panels (installed as a backup for the cloaking device), a signal modulator, sensor scramblers, and stealth coating, Jango was confident he could get off Coruscant and into hyperspace.

It was unfair-for the enemy, that is.

 ***CUT TO: HIGH COUNCIL CHAMBER, JEDI TEMPLE, TEMPLE PRECINCT, GALACTIC CITY, CORUSCANT***

If there was one thing Inspector Sergeant Tan Divo disliked more than paperwork, it was interacting with pissed off superiors.

"Sergeant Divo," the Grand Master of the Jedi, a Jedi humanoid named Yoda, began, "unbiased, you will be, in reporting what happened last night?"

"Affirmatjve, Master Jedi," Divo said. "Some assassin droid slipped past security and inserted these two poisonous creatures into Senator Amidala's room. They were killed, of course, by Padawan Skywalker. However, Master Kenobi chose to jump out of the window and grab onto the droid."

Master Windu, Yoda's second-in-command, face palmed. "Oh, come on! I thought the Skywalker twins and Keto just made that shit up!"

"Language," Yoda reprimanded him. "Divo, continue, please."

"Of course, Master Yoda," the detective said. "After ordering the Senate Commando detachment and one of the Senator's handmaidens to protect her, Master Skywalker ordered the Padawans and I to pursue Master Kenobi and the droid he had jumped on top of. After he was shot by a less-than-lethal electrolaser round and knocked unconscious, Master Skywalker ordered his brother to rescape him while I, him, and Padawan Keto followed the suspected assassin in our borrowed Senate Commando airspeeder."

Master Mundi, a Cerean male, frowned. "Sergeant, is it true that you three were then shot down by a surface-to-air-missile and attacked in the Underworld?"

"Affirmative, Master Jedi." Divo wasn't part of the Underworld Police, and now did not want to transfer to that part of the CSF after that... _incident_. "Master Skywalker threw me out of the airspeeder and had Padawan Keto slow me down. He didn't want to eject out of risking collateral damage. By the way, I recommend that Padawan Keto be allowed to take the Jedi Trials in light of her saving my life." Divo's word would probably mean squat to the Jedi, but he was grateful that the young woman had kept him from dying. "Shortly after Master Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker landed, we were attacked by a local gang hired by the assassin. First, they fired a rocket-propelled detonator at the only functioning airspeeder we had at this point, destroying it. Then they came at us on foot, though largely thanks to the Jedi, all but one was killed. When the Jedi attempted to interrogate the surviving thug, he revealed that a Mandalorian had hired them but was killed by a slugthrower round before he could give us a name." The lawman neglected to use the word "murdered," partly because, though still an unlawful homicide, odds are the gangbanger deserved it.

"Thank you, _Lieutenant_ Divo," Yoda said. "See to it that you are promoted, I will."

 _Wait, I'm being promoted to Lieutenant?_ At least Divo got something out of this mess.

 ***CUT TO: ANALYSIS ROOMS, JEDI TEMPLE, TEMPLE PRECINCT, GALACTIC CITY, CORUSCANT***

"Hey, Depa, is that you?"

The Chalactan Jedi Master sighed. "Chad, I thought I told you about the need for decorum."

The younger Jedi smiled at her. "C'mon, Master Billaba, Mace lets me call him by his first name all the time."

She shook her head. "Okay, how is the analysis going?"

The Human shrugged. "Master Sinube says the analysis droids are almost done," he said.

"Correction," said the Cosian Jedi Master. "They have already finished, young one."

Chad straightened and bowed. "Thank you for your assistance, Master Sinube. What have you found?"

Sinube chuckled. "You should thank the droids, my boy. They found that the bullet in question was a ten-point-six-by-eighty-three millimeter round."

Depa raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, Master Sinube, but that doesn't sound like all they found."

He nodded. "It isn't, Master Billaba. Nor is it the most significant clue." The Cosian help up an evidence bag containing the bullet. "Jacketed hollowpoint design, which like the caliber of the round is unremarkable on its own. What is remarkable, however, is that this bullet had a neurotoxin injected into it."

"A neurotoxin, Master?" Chad asked.

"Affirmative," Sinube answered. "Additionally, in light of hollowpoint bullets being designed to expand and remain inside their targets to disrupt more tissue and avoid over-penetration, it is clear that whoever killed this unfortunate thug who should've stayed in school _really_ wanted him dead."

"Any leads on whoever fired the shot, then, Master Sinube?" Depa told him. "Any word from the Underworld Police?"

"No to both of those questions. The neurotoxin seems to be pretty rare or at least new, to the point of where our databases don't even know where it originated from. As far as I know, it could've been made in a lab on Coruscant or it was developed on Dantooine. A young policeman named Kallus reported that their luck isn't much better. No idea on whoever hired the gang or who fired the shot."

Chad frowned. "Please pass my thanks to the droids anyway, Master Sinube. Also, I was thinking after having to block slugthrower bullets-what if we had lightshields?"

"Wait, what?" Both Jedi Masters asked.

"Shields made of laser-induced plasma, operating on the same principles of a lightsaber. It'd be good for defense against, say, multiple opponents armed with slugthrowers. An average Jedi would normally have an advantage if he or she had a lightshield in addition to their lightsaber over an average Dark Jedi with just a lightsaber. Forget defense against bullets, a lightshield could protect its user against more than two shots at a time that are not aligned, while a lightsaber could not. A lightshield could protect against automatic weapons or fast rounds without relying on reflexes heavily, while with a lightsaber a Jedi would be over-reliant on his or her reflexes. A lightshield could protect against explosive projectiles or at least shrapnel, while a lightsaber couldn't."

Depa frowned. "Surely there are disadvantage to a lightshield, Chad."

He nodded. "Of course, Master Billaba. Similar to Jar'kai, rather than having both hands on your lightsaber, with a lightshield you'd be limited to one hand per weapon. You could also become overly dependent on your shield, just like how Jar'kai users can become dependent on having a second lightsaber. You wouldn't be as agile as well, so I'd probably end up having to use a lightshield for defense or adjust accordingly."

"I'm sure you will make a wise decision regardless, young Skywalker," Sinube stated.

 **ME: Jango's cloaking device, due to lacking a crystal, still showing up on infrared is a reference to the cloaking tech in _Halo_.**

 **I have been debating in my head about whether or not to give Chad a lightshield. Some have advised against it, so I decided to include disadvantages as well as advantages.**

 **The neurotoxin bullet was a reference to both how Zam died in _AOTC_ (conveniently, Jango didn't hit either Obi-Wan or Anakin first because Plot Armor) and Deadshot from _Arrow_ , who apparently uses bullets dipped in a neurotoxin. However, out of realism, I decided to have the neurotoxin injected into the bullets because apparently that asshole who massacred a summer camp in Norway planned to inject nicotine into his bullets according to his manifesto and the Norwegian authorities didn't put it past him. I also lampshaded why interrogating criminals in the open is a bad idea. Zam's _beskar'gam_ colors reflect both her sense of duty as a mother and wife and the fact Jango and Boba can rely on her. The 10.6x83mm round was inspired by the .416 Barrett.**

 **Also: I posted this chapter in memory of the victims of 9/11, a delayed tribute (if I could've, it would've been posted two days ago). Rest in peace, ladies and gentlemen.**

 **Final note: I consider Yoda's species to be "the Jedi." Judging by Wookieepedia, there once was a Sith species, so why not a Jedi one?**


	11. Intervention

**ME: Now time for Dex to make his famous appearance.**

You've come a long way, Chad. Once you were a baby sold into slavery, viewed as property instead of a sentient being. Now you are a Jedi Knight. I am grateful that the Force blessed me with you, my former Padawan.

 **(Jedi Master Mace Windu of the Jedi High Council, speaking to his former Padawan, Jedi Knight Chad Skywalker)**

Dex's Diner was a decent establishment, and Obi-Wan knew Dex was trustworthy enough as a source.

 _If only you were still alive, Master Qui-Gon,_ Obi-Wan reflected. _You were eccentric, but at the same time quite wise. You'd handle this investigation much better than I could._

Entering the restaurant, Obi-Wan cleared his throat and spoke to a waitress droid. "FLO, I'd like to speak with Dex. It's an important matter."

The WA-7 nodded. "Dex, it looks like a Jedi is here to see you."

The Besalisk man exited the kitchen and smiled. "Hey there, Obi-Wan! What brings you to my humble business?"

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, Dex, I'm unable to enjoy a glass of your Jawa juice in peace. I'm investigating a homicide, and I have sensitive information regarding it that needs an outside opinion in light of your...past."

Dex grunted. "Hey, everyone can learn something from history. What is it you're looking for exactly, Master Jedi?"

Obi-Wan retrieved a datapad from his cloak, the kind used to transfer data when it couldn't be merely transmitted for security reasons. "A criminal gang attempted to murder me and three other Jedi as well as a polive officer, but all but one were killed in self-defense. We attempted to interrogate the survivor, but he was shot before a name was revealed. All we know for certain is that the hooligans were hired by a Mandalorian. Additionally, the last outlaw was killed with a jacketed hollowpoint bullet that had a neurotoxin injected into it. Said neurotoxin appears to be either new or rare, for the investigators have, for the moment, been unable to determine where the poison was developed. Perhaps you can shed some light on the poison's origins?"

Dex took a look at the datapad. "Hey, I actually recognize this data from my days as a prospector! Obi-Wan, this neurotoxin was developed on Kamino!"

"Kamino?"

"Yes, Kamino!" Dex explained. "Independent planet not affiliated with either the Republic or the Confederacy out in the Wild Space, twelve parsecs outside of the Rishi Maze. The locals, the Kaminoan species, are probably the finest cloners in the galaxy. Mainly keep to themselves, though, unless you got enough credits."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll make sure to research Kamino, Dex. Thank you for your assistance," he said.

 ***CUT TO: UNDERWORLD POLICE PLAZA COURTYARD***

Chad grunted as he walked around in CSF biker gear. True, it was protective, but the young Jedi Knight normally dressed in lighter robes and thus would need to get used to the heavier uniform.

 _Jedi used to wear armor to fight the Sith Empire,_ he reflected. _You just gotta figure out how to use your outfit effectively and thus get a reasonable balance of protection and mobility out of it._

"Master Drallig," he asked, "what exactly does the Underworld Police need us for?"

The Battlemaster frowned. "There has been increased fighting between the Hutt Cartel, the Black Sun, and local criminal organizations, Skywalker," he answered. "More civilians are being killed or injured in the crossfire. Our purpose is to protect innocent life, and once the detectives find a situation where we can make an impact, we strike."

Chad grunted. "With all due respect, Master, we should be out in the field bringing thugs to justice and protecting would-be victims from them instead of waiting around-."

Their comlinks beeped. "Attention all available units," said the CUP dispatcher, "we have a report of sentient trafficking victims being held. I repeat, we have a case of suspected sentient trafficking. Any available officers, please respond immediately. Location has been marked, proceed with caution."

Serra jogged out of the building, having gone inside to change. "Master, we need to go! Now!"

"Hop on," Chad agreed, tossing her a pair of HUD glasses while putting on his own. _Always good to protect the eyes._

The three Jedi sped off on two borrowed speeder bikes. "Dispatch," Chad said , "this is Jedi Knight Chad Skywalker. Come in, over."

"Go, Master Jedi," replied the dispatcher.

"Order all responding officers to set up a perimeter and wait for us to arrive," he told her. "These fucks need to pay, but I don't want any good cops getting killed if I can stop it."

"Wilco, Master Skywalker. Dispatch out."

"Skywalker," Drallig chided, "vengeance is not the way of the Jedi."

"But, Master," Serra argued, "justice is." Chad noted that, naturally, she was pissed off due to the nature of the crime.

"Let's just get these girls free," he said before Drallig could respond.

When they arrived, the restaurant was surrounded by police cruisers and officers armed with carbines.

"Follow me!" Chad yelled, igniting his lightsaber.

The three Jedi charged through the doorway, being quick to reduce their vulnerability. The officers followed, their blasters set to stun because of the trafficked sentients.

What no one expected to find were more than a few dead men with blood leaking from bullet wounds.

"Damn," Serra commented. "Someone beat us to these bastards."

"Let's just get these girls to safety," Chad said.

Suddenly there was the sound of stun rounds, followed by a man yelling over the comlink, "Officers down! Officers-!"

Chad and Serra raced towards the back exit, just in time to see a man accelerate away on a speeder bike.

"Is that the Fox?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yup," Serra answered. "I can sense these three cops in the Force, so he just stunned them."

A cop joined and checked on his downed comrades. "Officer Kallus to Dispatch," he said. "Be advised: Three officers down, stunned. Multiple sentient trafficking victims, as well as numerous suspects in need of transport. Over."

"Copy that, transports inbound," the Dispatcher replied.

Chad's holoreceiver beeped, and he took it out. Mace was the one contacting him.

"Master Windu," he said formally.

"Get back to the surface with Padawan Keto, Chad," the Korun man ordered. "New assignment for both of you."

 **ME: A/N: I've been working on this for about a week, I guess. Hope it was worth the wait, guys.**

 **"Underworld Police Plaza" is a reference to the real life NYPD HQ.**

 **The glasses worn by Serra and Anakin reference Falcon's redesigned costume for the MCU, which was redesigned for realism (I.e. Goggles to protect his eyes).**

 **The sentient trafficking and the vigilante nicknamed "the Fox" is a reference to _Watch Dogs_ and its protagonist, Aiden Pearce.**

 **In light of popular demand, I am deciding to have Chad and Serra accompany Padmé and Anakin.**


	12. Departure and Deception

**ME: In celebration of the SAT test now longer being a burden for myself (as of 10/3/15), I'm celebrating by treating you guys to another chapter.**

The former Queen of Naboo did not like it one bit, but the Jedi Council and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine had convinced her that it would be safer to leave Coruscant and travel back to Naboo.

"They will not expect you to return home, my dear," the grandfatherly old man had said. "Nevertheless, the Jedi Coincil are sending Master Skywalker, his brother, and Padawan Keto for your protection. Please stay safe, Senator Amidala. Our people love you too much for you to die at such a young age."

Padmé had complied. Jar Jar, thankfully, knew her stance on the Military Creation Act and shared it. As acting Senator for the Chommel sector, he would vote in her place against provoking the Separatists.

 _I know what war's like. The Militarists may think that we need to reestablish the Armed Forces, but it will only inflame the worlds seceding from the Republic._

Right now she was with Ani, watching a news report to kill time until Serra and Chad joined them.

"We have confirmation from Underworld Police Plaza that a restaurant serving as a front for the notorious crime syndicate Black Sun has been raided by the police in cooperation with federal authorities," said the anchorman. "It appears that the restaurant was involved in both money laundering and sentient trafficking."

Padmé was horrified but grateful that such criminals had been exposed and would now be brought to justice.

"Eyewitness accounts from civilians indicate that the masked vigilante nicknamed 'the Fox' was involved. Though the Commissioner of the CSF denied rumors that the vigilante is in fact an undercover policeman and vowed to have him arrested, an Underworld Police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the Fox is not the highest priority for even cops who believe he is a genuine menace to society and that many members of the Underworld Police are more enthusiastic about the vigilante than they are allowed to publicly disclose."

"You guys ready?"

Padmé looked to find Serra and Chad. The bags Padawan and Knight packed looked like each only had one change of clothes.

 _Jedi don't own much,_ she remembered. _They're peacekeepers, not members of Congress._

"Yes," Padmé answered. "Master Skywalker, I was told you knew where our ship is."

Chad nodded. "You can call me Chad, Senator, but affirmative, ma'am. We'll take a freighter to avoid looking conspicuous and head for Kashyyyk to throw off any pursuers then head for Naboo. Follow us, please."

The four moved towards the hangar and looked at the ship. The freighter possessed a pair of triangular wings and had wheels.

"Looks like an antique," Anakin commented.

"Classic reentry airfoil, brother," Chad replied. "Worst case scenario, we can glide in and land with this baby. Magnetic clamps make it capable of hauling containers whenever internal space isn't enough, sorta like a repulsor truck but in space. We got two cabins and enough food and water to last the trip."

"Then we better get moving," Serra said. "Looks like you'll be bunking with me, ma'am."

Padmé nodded. "That's alright, Serra. This vessel looks...cozy enough."

The quartet boarded the ship and strapped in.

Chad grunted as he checked the controls. "Okay, we got a decent reactor and hyperdrive-nothing top of the line, but it'll get us from Point A to Point B then Point C. As expected, no weapons but the shields will hold long enough for us to run. We got four engines for sunlight thrust and hyperspace and a secure hypertransceiver. Not great, but not bad either."

"Let's get underway, then," Anakin said.

Padmé watched as Chad punched the comlink. "Control, Freighter Bravo Three-One-Two requesting permission to takeoff."

"Copy, Three-One-Two," said the ATC. "Negative, I say again, you are _not_ cleared for takeoff. We have a Delta-Seven coming in to land, stand by."

"Roger, standing by."

Padmé wondered how her family would react to the Jedi-particularly Anakin-when the controller stated, "Three-One-Two, you are green. I say again, you are cleared for takeoff."

 ***CUT TO: JEDI TEMPLE ARCHIVES***

Obi-Wan frowned. He had searched for both Kamino and its native population, the Kaminoans, yet he had nothing to show for it. The Archives offered no information for either planet or species.

"Master Nu?" He asked the Chief Librarian, Master Jocasta Nu.

"Yes, Master Kenobi?" The elderly woman replied.

"I was searching for a species and their home world an informant told me about," he said. "But I can't find either in the Archives."

She frowned. "Then they do not exist, Master Kenobi. Our Archives are quite complete. I am sorry that your time has been wasted for such a fruitless endeavor, is their any way I can assist you?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Is Master Yoda instructing younglings?"

"Why yes, he is," she answered.

"Thank you, Master Nu."

 **ME: A/N: I hope this was good enough, guys. I had our heroes change transit options from refugee ship to freighter primarily because it seems silly for Coruscant to have refugees fleeing from it (unless they were deporting "undesirables" or sending away excess refugees). Plus I couldn't resist a Shout Out to sci-fi webcomic _Quentyn_ _Quinn_.**

 **"Bravo Three-One-Two" is a reference to _Halo_. Three guesses as to what.**

 **Also, what do y'all think of this theory: Divo was meant to be a Deconstruction of the By-the-Book Cop archetype.**

 **For starters, odds are he isn't corrupt, he follows the rules (ironically, Divo actually dislikes paperwork), and actually pokes fun at politicians in front of Palpatine and a bunch of Senators. Plus while his two investigations were ultimately unsuccessful, Divo actually WAS clever enough to activate two police droids, so he isn't entirely useless as a police officer (similar to how Jar Jar can actually be helpful in spite of his clumsiness).**

 **Divo's problem, however, appears to be lack of creativity in his investigations, resulting in others not taking him seriously as a detective.**


	13. Raid and Rescue

**ME: Time for an original scene.**

Here are the records of Master Skywalker and Padawan Keto, Lord Tyranus. I assure you that your former charges are most impressive; imagine them as Dark Jedi.

 **(SUPREME CHANCELLOR SHEEVE PALPATINE, TALKING WITH COUNT DOOKU IN PRIVATE)**

The _Thunderbird_ -class freighter Bravo-312 wasn't Anakin's dream ride, but it would have to do.

Chad, being fond of history, got out his datapad and pulled up a video. "Remarkable what a group can do."

"Is that video of the old Sith Empire?" Anakin asked.

"Affirmative," his brother answered. "Specifically, the Imperial Guard."

Serra got behind Chad. "The Guard?"

"Yeah." The video began to play. "Below-average Force users, mainly, organized into units. They were big on numbers and teamwork over individual quality, hence the lower standards. Sith Guardians tended to know enough for a basic Force push and whatnot plus how to not cut themselves with a lightsaber, but even the officers and NCOs weren't that impressive one-one-one.

"Where they really exceeded was as a unit in CQC or enduring heavy firepower." Chad paused, and Anakin saw the armament of the Guardians; a lightsaber shoto and some lightshield. "Their lightscuta gave them an edge in confined spaces and provided protection from enemy fire."

"Anyway you can apply your idea in a way that makes sense for a Jedi?" He asked.

Chad smiled. "There is one Fonce-sensitive vigilante that used a lightshield in combination with his lightsaber. Normally he'd use his lightshield for defense against, say, a gang of thugs before getting close enough to use his lightsaber for offense in order to be more mobile."

"Fascinating, Chad," Padmé commented. "It seems as though each style has its own strengths and weaknesses-one lightsaber, Jar'Kai, using a lightshield as well..."

Anakin nodded. "Nothing's perfect, milady."

"Alright, looks like we're about five minutes out." Chad got on the PA. "Attention all passengers, this is your Captain speaking. Our stop in the Kashyyyk system is imminent, please stand by for deceleration from hyperspace."

Anakin grunted in the copilot chair. _After taking on an Underworld gang and emerging victorious without a scratch, I'm kinda bored now._

When Bravo-312 exited hyperspace, she was not alone. In space were three _Interceptor_ -class frigates with Black Sun emblems and a Mon Calamari-designed civilian ship.

 _Kriff._

 ***CUT TO: BRIDGE OF BLACK SUN FRIGATE _ALPHA ONE_ ***

"Commodore, a contact just exited out of hyperspace off our port bow. Looks like a light freighter."

The Frigate Squadron Commander, a Falleen man who was eager to advance up the ranks of Black Sun, smiled. "Excellent. Looks like we'll have some extra slaves to sell, the Vigos will be most pleased. I want her tractored in and boarded immediately."

"Aye aye, sir," was the reply.

 ***CUT TO: _THUNDERBIRD_ -CLASS FREIGHTER BRAVO-312***

Padmé sighed as she loaded her blaster. "Just when I thought I could get some peace and quiet," the Senator lamented.

Serra shrugged. "Just stay behind me, ma'am," the younger woman told her, "and you'll be fine."

"Thank you, Serra," she said.

Chad stacked up with Anakin near the airlock. "Serra, protect the Senator and Artoo. We'll handle the pirates."

"I thought it was, 'Ladies first,'" the female Padawan snarked.

"I outrank you," he replied.

The pirates started to slice in, putting an end to any banter.

The airlock was kicked in, and lightsaber blades were ignited.

"Jedi!" The thugs, surprised by this unwelcome (for them) development, screamed before being cut down.

Wisely the quartet of Humans rushed through the entryway rather than stand in it, knowing that the latter option was a death sentence.

More thugs were waiting and met their charge with blasterfire; evidently the three dead thugs back on the freighter had been merely the tip of the comet.

Padmé stayed behind Serra due to lack of cover and returned fire with her pistol.

One of the pirates was lucky and hit Chad in the shoulder, who grunted in pain.

"Chad!" Both Serra and Anakin yelled.

"I'm fine!" He replied, slicing off a Wookiee's head. "Focus on the battle!"

Together they finished off the last of the thugs.

"Attention all hands, prepare for immediate hyperjump. Repeat, stand by for hyperjump. Also, someone take care of those Jedi at the starboard docking port!"

Anakin glanced at his brother. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Chad grunted. "Just gonna need a bacta patch for now."

"I'll do it," Padmé volunteered. "Serra, you and Anakin can keep watch."

Grabbing a medkit from the freighter, she disinfected the wound (sure blaster burns were cauterized, but it never hurt to be sure) before applying a bacta patch.

Chad grimaced but was fine. "Thank you."

They got moving again, taking down multiple Black Sun members. Most of them didn't seem that well trained for the situation and were neutralized easily.

"Where did they hire these guys from?" Anakin grunted.

"This ship probably contributed a lot to hijacking that Mon Cal ship we saw on the sensors," Chad explained. "If I were a pirate bastard, I'd want as many fighters on my target as possible to keep it under control. I would need guys back on my ships for defense and internal security, of course, but it explains where their best shots went."

Eventually they reached the bridge, and thanks to Artoo were able to seal themselves off from the rest of the ship via blast door.

"Artoo, lock down all doors on this level," Chad ordered. "Shut down all powered life support systems and prepare to vent atmosphere for everywhere but here."

"What's the plan, Chad?" Serra asked.

The Jedi Knight coldly smiled. "Instead of fighting them off, we suffocate every last scumbag on this ship."

Padmé's eyes widened. "Tell me you're joking, Master Jedi!"

"I'm not," he responded, looking her in the eye. "Ma'am, with all due respect, these guys are all trying to kill us. The pirate vermin on this scrap heap are all probably guilty of rape and murder, not mere jaywalking or petty thievery. Artoo, you ready?"

" _Affirmative, initiating the purge_ ," came the reply from R2, and Padmé realized that Chad had a point.

"Anakin," he said, "get me a line to the Judicial Fleet."

 ***CUT TO: BRIDGE OF THE _CARRACK_ -CLASS LIGHT CRUISER _INTEGRITY_ ***

Commander Terrinald Screed was one of the more aggressive skippers among the Judicial Fleet, but even he was surprised at the sheer audacity of what had happened.

"You took on a squadron of Black Sun frigates with four people and a droid, Master Jedi," he asked the young Jedi Knight, a man named Chad Skywalker, "and _won_?"

"Well," came the reply, "we did have pure fusion weapons. So we took over one frigate, nuked the other two once we dripped out of hyperspace, then rescued the hostages aboard the Mon Cal cruiser. Most of the pirates onboard that thing were smart enough to abandon ship once their buddies got nuked and we got 'em in a tractor beam, so that left us all the real assholes who decided to keep going out of spite. Not all the hostages survived even if none were sold into slavery."

Screed grimaced. "Thank you for your service, Master Skywalker. You have my respect for this heroic rescue."

 **ME: A/N: Apparently Screed was a Judicial officer during the Separatist Crisis in Legends.**

 **And yes, using _Integrity_ again was intentional. Chad just keeps getting found by this ship, doesn't he?**

 **Hope you guys like this story and TECD (which I've updated). BTW, what do you think of this theory: Shield generators are simply small reactors of some kind (fusion or hypermatter) that are brought online as needed.**

 **Pure fusion weapons are a real life concept. Think a nuke with no fissile material, similar to thermobaric bombs in terms of lacking fallout but on a much more destructive scale. However, these weapons could easily enable rogue states like North Korea and Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. I advise caution here.**

 **The vigilante Chad described is a reference to Robin's combat style from _Arkham City_ , albeit significantly more lethal. The Sith Guardians are a reference to a forum on lightshields as well as how Roman Legions fought.**


	14. Inspection

**ME: Time to get back to TFM.**

I don't believe Alto Stratus can be negotiated with. While he is primarily a speaker with little command experience, I don't doubt the sincerity of his hatred for the Jedi and the Republic.

 **(Colonel Orliss Gillmunn of the Jabiim Planetary Guard, speaking to Judicial peacekeepers)**

It might've delayed them a bit, but Anakin and the others made sure to get the Mon Cal ship back.

"On behalf of all the people of Mon Cala," King Yos Kolina said after they had landed the passenger vessel on the water, "you have our thanks, Master Jedi and Senator Amidala. Without your bravery, all the people aboard this ship would've been killed or enslaved."

Anakin didn't bring up to the Mon Calamari monarch that people had still died. Admittedly the situation would have been even worse if he and the others hadn't intervened, but the Padawan still didn't feel like a hero.

Now they were leaving in a mothballed freighter, their previous ship having been given to the locals for scrap in light of the fact the Black Sun pirates had ruined the airlock.

"Engaging hyperdrive in t-minus five, four, three, two, one, now," said Chad as he pushed the lever forward, sending them into hyperspace.

Anakin frowned. "Milady," he began, "you are in grave danger. Are there any places on Naboo that you can think of that are remotely safe?"

Padmé smiled. "My family's estate in the lake country," she answered. "It's isolated enough."

"Sounds like a plan."

 ***CUT TO: OBI-WAN KENOBI'S DELTA-7 FIGHTER***

Obi-Wan sighed in relief. Kamino, the missing planet, was right where it should be.

"Kamino TC, this is Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said. "Come in, over."

The response was given in thirty seconds. "Master Jedi, this is Tipoca City TC. We read you loud and clear, are you here to check on Master Sifo-Dyas's order?"

Obi-Wan frowned. "Repeat, Tipoca? Sounded like you said Master Sifo-Dyas, do you copy?"

There was a pregnant pause. "Master Sifo-Dyas is still a leading member of the Jedi Council, correct?"

He shook his head. "Apologies, Tipoca TC. Master Sifo-Dyas died almost ten years ago."

"I am sorry to hear that, Master Kenobi. You are cleared to land, Prime Minister Lama Su will meet you shortly."

"Acknowledged, Tipoca TC. Kenobi out."

Obi-Wan entered the atmosphere and landed on one of the platforms. Putting on his hood to protect his head from the rain, the seasoned Jedi Knight entered through the first pair of doors he saw.

A Kaminoan was waiting for him. "Greetings, Master Jedi. I am Taun We, please let me show you to the Prime Minister's office."

Prime Minister Su was standing in his office, waiting for Obi-Wan. He noted that, in contrast to Taun We, judging by Su male Kaminoans had crests on their heads.

"Greetings, Prime Minister," Obi-Wan said politely.

The Prime Minister nodded. "I am sorry to hear that Master Sifo-Dyas has perished, Master Kenobi. However, his order is on schedule."

"What order, Prime Minister?" Obi-Wan asked.

Su seemed puzzled. "Why, the clone army he ordered for the Republic, of course. Tipoca City has two hundred thousand units ready for deployment and a million more well on the way."

Now he was curious. _A clone army?_ "Thank you, Prime Minister. May I inspect these soldiers?"

"Of course," said the Kaminoan.

The three toured the cloning complex. Besides the stark white armor, Obi-Wan noted that the troops all looked to be around Anakin's age. "So Master Sifo-Dyas placed this order twenty years ago?" He questioned.

Taun We shook her head. "Actually, Master Kenobi, this army was ordered merely a decade ago."

The Prime Minister briefly glared before glancing at him. "If you are wondering about the timeframe, Master Jedi, we have accelerated the aging of the clone troopers. Because of this, they can be ready for combat in half the time. The soldiers you see in armor were created ten years ago, yet they are biologically twenty. And while our scientists have engineered them to be more obedient than their template, they can still think creatively. You will find these clones immensely superior to droids as combatants."

Obi-Wan reviewed the facts in his _head. Not anyone would've been picked as the template; these Kaminoans would want someone incredibly skilled. The thug said a Mandalorian hired his gang. Said thug was killed by a bullet with a neurotoxin from Kamino injected into it._ "Prime Minister, if you don't mind me asking, who is the template?"

Su: "I don't mind at all, Master Kenobi. The template is a Mandalorian bounty hunter named Jango Fett. Aside from his pay, which is considerable, he only asked for one thing as compensation; an unaltered clone. Curious, isn't it?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Can I meet him? I need to see the template for this army." It was perfectly unsuspicious that Obi-Wan wanted to see Fett.

"Of course. He and his wife, Zam Wesell Fett, take missions but since becoming this army's template they have operated out of this fine city. I will take you to their apartment."

 **ME: A/N: This may have been shorter than average, but I had to get an update in.**

 **Hope y'all like this and TECD. BTW, does anyone notice that the Underworld cops are the only threatening law enforcement in TCW?**

 **The Senate Commandos, who admittedly are probably more of a SWAT team, are hapless Red Shirts like a lot of the unnamed, faceless clones. I seem to recall one of Padmé's guards getting distracted and ambushed for it, while the Mandalorian cops are even more luckless than the Senate Commandos (in fact, I honestly think Vizsla only avoided invading Mandalore with Death Watch in instead of his False Flag Operation so they'd look good). In contrast, the Underworld Police (especially compared to Divo, who's uncreative, and the droids, who are largely ineffective on their own) actually look competent enough to handle their jobs (admittedly, Ahsoka wasn't trying to kill them).**

 **This chapter is dedicated to the victims of the November 2015 attacks in Paris. Also, screw Bill Maher. He considers the men and women fighting terrorism cowards for firing cruise missiles 2,000 miles away but the 9/11 hijackers brave for initiating the murder suicide of thousands of innocent civilians. He additionally has blamed the attacks on bombing ISIS, which is *sarcasm ahead* real classy.**

 **America stands with you. France.**


	15. Fun and Run

**ME: Now time for our protagonists to have some fun. And for Obi-Wan to meet the Fetts.**

Democracy? In truth, ordinary citizens don't need democracy. Hell, it's not even what they want. What would truly both please and protect them is a leader who can provide the restraints and boundaries necessary to keep chaos at bay. And that is where I come in.

 **(Private journal of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine)**

Serra whistled appreciatively. "Nice place, ma'am."

"Thank you, Serra," Senator Amidala. "Anyone wanna go for a swim after unpacking?"

"I'll go!" Anakin agreed eagerly.

Chad grunted. "My shoulder still kinda hurts from earlier, Senator Amidala. I'm gonna sit this one out."

"I'll stay with you," Serra said. "We can catch a movie or something off the HoloNet."

After getting themselves situated, the quartet split in two. Anakin and Senator Amidala went outside while Serra and Chad stayed inside.

"Alright, what do you wanna watch?" Serra asked him, picking up the remote.

Suddenly she felt his hand on her right shoulder.

"Chad?"

"Sorry," he said, withdrawing his hand.

Serra chuckled. "I didn't tell ya to _stop_ , did I?"

Chad raised an eyebrow. "You don't mind? I wouldn't want to ruin your future, what with the Code and everything..."

"Chad," she said, "the Code can go jump off a cliff when it comes to this. I trust you, we've known each other for our entire lives practically, and if you've got feelings for me," she smiled, "I'm more than ready to reciprocate."

He smiled and gave Serra a kiss that wasn't one-sided. "I'm grateful to hear that."

 ***CUT TO: TIPOCA CITY, KAMINO***

Noticing someone was knocking at the door, Boba got up and checked.

It was Taun We and some guy in a brown robe. "Boba," she asked, "is your father here?"

"Yup," he answered. "So is my mother, they just got back from a mission."

"May we speak to him?"

"Sure."

The two walked into the apartment.

Dad and Mom came out dressed in civilian clothes rather than _beskar'gam_. _Probably for the best if this guy's a Jedi._

"Jango, this is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi," Taun said. "He's come to check on our progress."

The Jedi bowed and shook hands with Mom and Dad. "Good to meet you, Master Jedi," Dad said. "This is my wife, Zam. You've met Boba already."

"I've seen the clone army that has been created with your genes," Kenobi said. "I'm impressed, though I'm honestly troubled by the notion of breeding sentients to fight and die in war."

Dad shrugged. "Perhaps you and your fellow Jedi can turn them into police officers if you'd prefer that, Master Kenobi. Me? I'm just a simple man trying to provide for his family."

"Ever been to Coruscant?" He asked.

Boba frowned, and Mom discreetly gestured towards the front of the apartment. Understanding the order, he moved and secured the room, hiding the armor of his parents.

"Once or twice on business," Dad said neutrally.

"Recently?" _Kriff, this_ Jetii's _nosy._

"Perhaps."

Kenobi nodded. "Master Sifo-Dyas offering you a generous sum for your genetic material was one of them, I trust?"

"Sifo-Dyas?" His mother asked, confused.

"Sorry, ma'am," the _Jetii_ said. "Master Sifo-Dyas financed the creation of this army according to the Kaminoan government, so I assumed he contacted your husband."

Boba's father frowned. "I was hired by a man named Tyranus, Master Kenobi."

"Very well, I'll try and make sense of this all. Thank you for your help, Mr. and Mrs. Fett."

Once Kenobi left, Dad glanced at both Boba and Zam. "Grab your things, both of you. We have to leave."

 **ME: A/N: Yeah, I based Palpatine's rant off the Advanced Warfare trailer; I doubt the Sith are fond of democracy. This may be short, but I hope I didn't butcher the romance scene between Chad and Serra.**


	16. Confrontation

**ME: Time for dinner.**

The Republic is ultimately nothing but a collection of hypocrites. Why are worlds undemocratic if they vote to secede, my lord?

 **(General Grievous, Supreme Confederate Commander, speaking to Count Dooku, Head of State of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, on political matters)**

"So..." Chad asked his brother and the Senator, "how was swimming?"

"Fun," they both said.

Just as Senator Amidala was about to cut into her fruit, Anakin levitated it and cut off a slice with his own knife.

Serra chuckled. "Damn, Anakin. You know Master Kenobi would have your ass for this, right?"

Chad laughed as well. "Forget Obi-Wan, Serra. Anakin, you do realize Mace would tear you a new one for using the Force to woo a woman, right?"

The Chosen One rolled his eyes but kept smiling. "I'll have you know Senator Amidala here is a _lady_ , Chad."

The former Queen of Naboo cleared her throat. "Of course, Anakin, no matter what our feelings are, it can't work. You're a Jedi and I'm a Senator; I won't be the end of your career." She looked at Chad. "Master Jedi, I won't ruin your brother's chances of becoming a Jedi Knight."

Chad shook his head. "Ma'am, I'm willing to keep a secret. Serra, you'd oblige too, right?"

"Right," she said.

Anakin deliver his crush a slice of fruit. "Enough talk, let's eat."

 ***CUT TO: YODA'S QUARTERS, JEDI TEMPLE***

"Masters, I've located Kamino," Kenobi said. "The locals, with the genetic material of a bounty hunter named Jango Fett, have created a clone army under the order of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas for the Republic."

Mace frowned. "The Council never authorized the creation of an army, let alone a clone one," he said.

Master Yoda wasn't pleased as well. "Troubled, I am," said the diminutive Grand Master. "Sense the creation of an army, we did not."

"Masters, I believe this Jango Fett is the assassin," Kenobi stated. "I repeat, I think he is the one behind the attempted murder of Senator Amidala."

"Take him into custody," Mace ordered. "We'll send a ship to transport him back to Coruscant for questioning, since I doubt you want this assassin sitting in your lap."

"Thank you, Master Windu," replied Kenobi. "Please note that he has a wife and son, I repeat, he's married. The woman appears to be a bounty hunter as well, and likely was involved as well if her husband was."

"May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan," Yoda said.

Mace frowned. "Master Yoda, shall we inform the Senate that our ability to use the Force has been diminished?"

"No. Cause a panic, we cannot. Increase chaos, such an action would."

It was smart thinking, Mace reflected. After all, some information was best kept restrained, not free.

 ***CUT TO: LAKE COUNTRY ESTATE***

 _Serra watched in horror as she saw Dooku fall to the floor, fatally wounded._

 _"Master!" She pleaded as the young woman tried to heal him with her limited abilities. "Stay with me, Master Dooku! Please!"_

 _The old man coughed. "Flee, my dear," he said. "The dark side grows stronger every day. If you do not run from the Jedi Order, an organization doomed to fall at the hands of the Sith, you will either become another pawn or die."_

 _"MASTER!" She screamed as Dooku died. "DON'T DIE,_ _PLEASE!"_

Serra screamed and bolted upright in her bed.

"It was all just a nightmare," the Padawan said, still disturbed.

She sensed Chad's presence just as he knocked on her door. "Serra? Can I come in?" He asked, clearly concerned just by the tone of his voice.

"Yeah," Serra answered.

He opened the door, clad only in his trousers. _He must've come in a hurry._ "I heard screams and felt your distress, did you have a nightmare?"

"Yes," she said. "Sorry for waking you up, I was weak."

"How exactly?" Chad asked with a frown.

"By screaming over a damn nightmare," said Serra. "I'm nineteen, not a youngling."

He shook his head and hugged her. "There's nothing weak about reacting like anyone would to a nightmare, Serra. You're still the badass chick I had the honor of growing up with, you're not weak."

"Thanks," she replied gratefully. "Chad, would you mind sleeping we me? No sex, just actual sleeping."

"Not at all."

"Thank you."

In spite of what had happened, Serra actually smirked when she fell asleep. Master Drallig would be pissed at her for sleeping with Chad even though she kept her boxers and top on because they had developed an..."attachment."

 _Sorry, Master, but_ fuck _that._

The two awoke to a knock on the door. "Yes?" Serra asked, unhappy at waking up.

"Pack your bags, we gotta go."

 ***CUT TO: TIPOCA CITY LANDING PAD***

Jango was grateful that the _Jetii_ hadn't brough backup, otherwise one could have used a fighter to keep his family from taking off while another could try and arrest him.

"Mom, Dad, look!"

 _Kriff._

He turned just in time to Kenobi activate his lightsaber. "Jango Fett!" He yelled. "You are under arrest for the attempted murder of a Galactic Senator! If you surrender your weapons and come peacefully-."

"Zam, get Boba on board!" Jango interrupted, drawing his twin pistols and opening fire.

The Jedi deflected the shots while Jango retreated to one of the towers and fired the missile attached to his jetpack.

The _Jetii_ , doing what any normal being would have done, wisely jumped off the platform and avoided the explosion. Shrapnel and overpressure were both nasty to deal with, even if one had the Force.

"We're ready, _Jan'ika_ ," his wife said via comlink.

"Good," he said when he boarded. "Let's get out of here."

 **ME: The action may have been short, but Obi-Wan avoiding the missile is simply Reality Ensues due to stuff like shrapnel. Hope this update was good enough.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to the Kurdish victims of the Halabja Massacre that occured on March 16, 1988 under Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. More people died that day then on 9/11, ladies and gentlemen; both America and Kurdistan must stand together as allies to prevent such atrocious terrorist attacks.**

 **Having finished the Servants of the Empire novels, I commend Jason Fry for his high quality writing. It was aimed at a younger audience, like Rebels itself, but enjoyable regardless.**


	17. Joint Discoveries

**ME: It's now time for Anakin and co to hit Tatooine and for Obi-Wan...to be subjected to Mandalorian rough-housing.**

The Jedi do not understand what it takes to survive. If you are not ruthless, you will not live. It is a fact of life. Unfortunately, I suspect that any Jedi who survives the initial purge of the Order will adapt and become harder to kill or turn. Evolution is a double-edged vibrosword.

 **(Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, musing on the enemies of the Sith)**

Tatooine was a dangerous place, beyond Republic jurisdiction. As a result, Chad had insisted they all carry blasters to keep a lower profile. Anakin, Chad, and Serra all still carried their lightsabers, of course, but they would not draw them unless they had no other choice.

After helping Padme off the rickshaw, Anakin approached his former master.

"Hello, Watto," he said.

"Ani?" The Toydarian asked, clearly surprised. "Is that really you?"

"It is," Anakin said.

"Damn," the merchant said. "The Jedi fed you well, you're tall and strong now. Would you mind-."

"-hate to interrupt," Chad cut in, "but we came here to find our mother. Shmi Skywalker."

"Who are you?"

"He's my brother, Chad." Anakin wanted to make sure his mother was safe. "What happened to her?"

Watto shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ani. Business was bad, so I sold her to a moisture farmer. His name was Cliegg Lars, I think. He lives on the other end of Mos Eisley, I'll have to look him up in my records."

At least they were one step closer to finding Shmi and protecting her.

 ***CUT TO: _SLAVE I_ , EXITING HYPERSPACE NEAR GEONOSIS***

"Jango, I'm picking up a _Jetii_ starfighter on radar."

Her husband swore. "Dammit, bastard must be tracking us with a homing beacon! We'll move into the asteroid field and leave him some surprises. Boba, keep your _shebs_ in your seat and strap in! This is gonna be rough!"

While Jango flew _Slave I_ evasively, Zam released a couple of charges in an effort to either kill the Jedi or scare him into retreating.

"Dumb SOB doesn't know when to quit!" She said. "We're gonna have to put him down like a sick strill!"

After managing to get behind the _di'kutla Jetii_ , Zam opened fire.

"Die, you dumb _di'kut_! Die!"

To his credit, she was only able to hit him once.

"This prick's too evasive," Jango said. " _Cyar'ika_ , you wouldn't mind getting a lock on his thermal signature, would you?"

Zam smiled. Unlike radar, with infrared homing the Jedi wouldn't know she had acquired a lock until she started sending missiles after his ass.

"Three missiles armed," she said. "Target acquired, firing now! Missiles away."

The Jedi ran for his life into the asteroid field. Remarkably enough, he spun and actually was able to get two missiles to destroy themselves before the third got him.

"You guys did it!" Boba said, excited. "You got him!"

"Yeah, _Bob'ika_ ," Jango said. "Thanks to your mother, we won't be seeing him again."

 ***CUT TO: OBI-WAN'S DELTA-7 STARFIGHTER***

"We've waited long enough, R-Four," Obi-Wan told R4-P17. "Time to power up."

She complied and increased power from the reactor. Obi-Wan had ordered her to minimize their thermal signature by lowering the heat generated by the reactor. That meant minimal power.

The planet Obi-Wan suspected the Fetts had fled to was Geonosis. It wasn't part of the Republic, so technically he was not legally authorized to continue the pursuit.

 _Forget it, the Fetts are dangerous criminals. A_ diplomatic incident _is worth putting them behind bars._

Obi-Wan entered the atmosphere and was disturbed by the spherical vessels he found on the surface.

"Those are Trade Federation ships," he said. " _Lucrehulk_ -class."

Something was definitely wrong. Obi-Wan wanted to contact the Council, but he was worried about both being unable to send a signal this far into the Outer Rim and being detected. So he would have to land and gather as much information as he could first.

 **ME: A/N: A bit short, but I wanted to get an update in for you guys. Plus I'm reading Hard Contact right now-Karen Traviss's work is addicting, not that that's a bad thing in this case. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas (or Happy Hannukah if Jewish) and a Happy New Year.**


	18. Fallout and Retaliation

**ME: Time for the Skywalker Twins to meet their step family.**

I didn't become a Jedi Knight and now a Master to serve the Senate, my young Padawan. Being a Jedi should be about helping your comrades and those threatened by rogues, Etain, not about politics.

 **(Jedi Master Kast Fulier, speaking to his newly selected apprentice, Padawan Etain Tur-Mukan)**

Chad landed the ship. "Alright, we're here."

"Stay with the ship, Artoo," Padmé ordered as the four Humans walked down the loading ramp.

A gray protocol droid greeted them. "Hello! How may I be of service, I am See-."

"-Threepio?" Anakin interrupted.

The droid paused. "Master Ani, is that really you?"

"Yup, Threepio," Chad's brother answered.

"Bless my circuits, I knew you would return! And you brought back Mistress Padmé as well as two new acquaintances!"

"I'm Chad," he introduced himself. "I'm Anakin's formerly long-lost twin brother, Threepio. This is Serra Keto."

"We've come to see our mother," Anakin said before Threepio could resume speaking.

Chad couldn't sense emotions from a droid, but Threepio paused. "Oh. Well, then, we better get inside."

A man and a woman met the group when they entered the homestead. "Master Owen," said Threepio, "may I present Anakin Skywalker and Chad Skywalker?"

Owen shook hands with both Anakin and Chad. "You two must be my step-brothers," he said. "I'm Owen Lars, this is my fiancé Beru."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, but I wish we were here under better circumstances," Anakin said. "We're looking for our mother."

"You won't find her."

An old man-probably Cliegg Lars, Chad realized-who had lost one of his legs moved up in a wheelchair. "The forcedamn Tuskens took her, you two. Twenty-nine men and I went out to search for her, but only four came back. It's been a month since she disappeared, there's no way she's alive."

"We're Jedi," Chad replied. He knew his mother was a good woman, for even if he couldn't remember her Anakin had told him about Shmi and how she did her best to raise his brother. "Padmé, stay here. Serra will protect you."

"Surely you can't be serious about wanting me to stay behind?" Serra questioned.

"I am serious," Chad answered. "This is something Anakin and I will have to deal with on our own, Serra. I don't want to drag you into a family matter and we need you to protect Padmé anyway. Owen?"

"Yes, Chad?" said the moisture farmer.

Chad handed him his blaster pistol. "If it's Tusken, shoot it. Good luck."

As the Jedi brothers mounted a speeder bike, their step-father stopped them. The old man was helped by Owen due to his inability to walk.

"Sons," he said, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect her."

"Don't be," said Chad. "You went out to rescue her and lost a leg for it, you've done what you can."

Serra ran up to them. "Anakin, you better bring back Chad alive," she snapped, probably agitated at not accompanying the two into danger. "Chad, I swear, if you do something stupid, I'll kick your ass. Screw it, I should kick it right now."

"May the Force be with all of you," Chad said.

Anakin, clearly wanting to initiate the search, accelerated the bike forward.

 ***CUT TO: GEONOSIS***

Obi-Wan concealed himself within the shadows and eavesdropped on Dooku and the businesspeople he was speaking to.

"Are you sure this plan will work, Count Dooku?" Gunray asked. "Naboo was a complete disaster, how will this scheme of yours succeed?"

The Count of Serenno nodded. "Of course, Viceroy," the former Jedi Master said. "Once your transports and Foreman Tambor's have been fully loaded, they will leave for Coruscant and initiate an invasion. Both the Jedi Order and the local security forces will be completely overwhelmed if they dare to resist, and thus the Coruscanticentric pseudo-democracy of a dictatorship that is the Republic will be forced to agree to any demands we make."

"So your Confederacy will be recognized," said Chairman San Hill of the Banking Clan. "In return for enabling this plan to succeed, we will all be handsomely rewarded, Count?"

"Of course," Dooku said. "You five may not be true Confederates, but you have all funded my efforts to bring a corrupt bureaucracy to its knees. I would be a barbarian if I did not compensate my financial backers."

Obi-Wan had heard and seen enough. _I have to inform the Council that the Separatist Alliance is preparing to go to war._

 ***CUT TO: TATOOINE***

It wasn't easy, but Anakin and his brother Chad had managed to both slip past the Tuskens guarding the camp and find the tent where their mother was

"Mom. Mom? Mom?" Anakin asked her.

"Ani?" She said, still capable of speech in spite of what the barbaric Tuskens had done to her. "Ani, is it you?"

"It is me, Mom," he told her. "This is my brother Chad, he was rescued by the Jedi. Now we're gonna bring you back home safely."

"You two are both so handsome," Shmi stated. "I'm so proud of you and your bother, Ani."

"I missed you," Anakin said.

Chad: "You're gonna be fine, we're gonna bring you back to Lars."

Shmi coughed. "I won't survive, Chad. But I'm happy to know you're alive and well."

"No!" Anakin said. "You will survive, Mom! Just stay with me!"

"I-I l-love you b-," she was able to utter before dying.

Shedding tears of anger and despair, Anakin ignited his lightsaber and cut down the two Tuskens guarding the tent.

" _Anakin!_ " Qui-Gon's voice said. " _Anakin, no! Don't do this!_ "

 **ME: I've been on vacation and things have been a little hectic, so apologies for any delays.**

 **Thanks to the Christian Jedi for providing a script for Attack of the Clones. I wasn't able to watch the scenes from AOTC today, so that was a big help.**

 **I hope you all had a Merry Christmas (or Happy Hanukkah if you're Jewish) and wish you all a Happy New Year.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to King Abdullah II of Jordan, a great man who has proven to be key in the fight against terrorism. His response to ISIS murdering his pilot? The good man had their friends executed and escalated anti-ISIS efforts. May God bless this badass.**


	19. Noncompliance

**ME: Time for Obi-Wan to send a message.**

I always had misgivings about blockading Naboo then invading it; the whole thing was pointless and an economic disaster for the Trade Federation and myself from the start. The only reason I complied at all was because Lord Sidious compelled me to do so and offered me a reward. So far, I have been rewarded with nothing but trouble.

 **(Journal of Viceroy Nute Gunray)**

Obi-Wan frowned. "Arfour, here's the plan," he said as the Jedi Knight got back in his fighter. "You will record me talking about the Separatist threat while we get back into space. To avoid being detected by the locals, don't transmit the message until we're ready to jump to hyperspace, so we'll have to wait until we get back to the hyperdrive ring. By recording the message then transmitting it, it'll reduce the odds of failing to warn Coruscant.

R4-P17 agreed. It was a good plan in the droid's eyes (or photoreceptors), much better than simply remaining on the ground.

"Master Yoda, I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the Outer Rim world of Geonosis," Obi-Wan began. "Count Dooku has allied with the local Archduke of Geonosis, Poggle the Lesser, Viceroy Nute Gunray, Foreman Wat Tambor, Presidente Shu Mai, Magistrate Passel Argente, and Chairman San Hill. In exchange for their droid troops, Count Dooku has promised these six individuals economic reward. Their plan is to use Trade Federation and Techno Union ships to transport an army to Coruscant. Both the Jedi Order and local police agencies will be overwhelmed by such an invasion, and the Republic will be forced to bow to the wishes of the Separatists."

 ***CUT TO: TATOOINE***

Padmé felt tears leak from her eyes when Anakin got off the speeder bike holding his mother's dead body.

Shmi was a good woman, the former Queen of Naboo remembered. She had the misfortune of being sold into slavery and now would no longer live and laugh and love.

Both Chad and Anakin opted to repair the bike. Cliegg was even more depressed than before, knowing his wife was dead and there was now no hope, no matter how unrealistic, that she would return alive and well. Owen was now silent, refusing to speak to even his fiancé. Serra looked uneasy, both due to her own emotions (even though she never knew Shmi, it was natural to be upset by death) and the fact that the younger woman undoubtedly could sense the feelings of the Skywalker brothers.

"Ani, I brought you two food," Padmé said as she walked in with a tray.

"We were always good at fixing things," came the reply.

Chad sighed. "But not so good at saving people."

Padmé: "How could you say that, Chad? You tried to save her!"

Anakin shook his head and said, "We still failed. _I_ still failed. It's not fair!" After that, the Padawan threw a bolt away.

"They're dead, you know," Chad stated.

"Who?" Padmé asked.

"The Tuskens, I killed them all."

Anakin coughed. "No, you didn't, Chad. You _only_ killed men; the women and the children were killed by me."

Padmé winced. Part of her wanted to vomit, for Anakin had confessed to killing children. On the other hand, Tuskens were savage barbarians from what the Lars family had told her, and lingering anti-Gungan bigotry from before the Invasion of Naboo didn't help.

"They're like animals, so I slaughtered them like animals! I HATE THEM!"

Padmé put a hand on his shoulder and said, "To be angry is to be Human, Anakin."

The funeral was a sober affair. Cliegg expressed the belief that Shmi was making wherever she had gone a better place, while both Anakin and Chad paid tribute to their mother.

R2 suddenly rolled up, saying he had a message from Obi-Wan Kenobi.

 ***CUT TO: OFFICE OF THE SUPREME CHANCELLOR***

Mace was shocked when he got the news. Dooku had not only allied with corporatists like Gunray and Mai, but actually was linked to the assassination attempt on Senator Amidala, if not outright behind them himself? A distress call had also been retransmitted; besides a recorded message, it appeared that Obi-Wan had been attacked over Geonosis before he could flee the system.

"More happening on Geonisis," Yoda said, "I feel, than has been revealed."

"I agree," Mace responded. "Chad?" he asked his former Padawan.

"Yes, Master?" came the reply.

"You need to stay where you are, Chad. You as well as Padawans Skywalker and Keto need to protect Senator Amidala at all costs, this is your first priority. We'll handle Count Dooku and the Separatist backers, may the Force be with you."

 ***CUT TO: PADMÉ'S STARSHIP***

"They'll never reach him in time," Padmé said when Master Windu ended the transmission. "They'll have to come halfway across the galaxy, while Geonosis is less than a parsec away from here."

Anakin shook his head. "If he's still alive."

Padmé: "Ani, are you just gonna sit here and let him die? He's your friend, your mentor!"

"He's like my father! But I can't go, Master Windu gave us strict orders to stay here."

She smirked. "Actually, he gave _you three_ strict orders to stay here. I'm going to rescue Obi-Wan; if you want to protect me, you will have to come with me to Geonosis."

Serra coughed. "Can we at least pay for Threepio first?"

"Yeah," Chad added, "their lives suck enough already. May as well not take a valuable droid and not compensate them for it."

 ***CUT TO: GEONOSIS***

Count Dooku, Head of State of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, shook his head as he walked into the cell containing Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Traitor!" the younger man snapped.

"I am not a Jedi anymore, Obi-Wan," Dooku said, "nor a Republic citizen. Serenno has seceded and joined the Confederacy, so I cannot be a traitor to the Republic or the Jedi.

"Besides, I have important news."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "The Geonosians have agreed to release me from this unlawful imprisonment?"

Dooku looked him in the eye as best as he could. "No, Obi-Wan," he said. "You violated their airspace, they had every right to shoot you down."

"Without warning?"

Dooku shook his head again. "Unimportant. What is important, Master Kenobi, is this terrible truth: The Senate is under the control of a Sith Lord. Gunray, who was manipulated and betrayed by him ten years ago, says he is named Darth Sidious." He paused briefly to take a breath. "Join me, Obi-Wan, and together we can destroy the Sith!"

What he told Obi-Wan about the Sith Lord was all true. Gunray had been manipulated into an economically foolish action by bribes and threats, while as Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine Lord Sidious had great influence over the Senate. All he neglected to say was that Dooku himself was Sidious's apprentice, Lord Tyranus, and that he did not truly intend to get Obi-Wan to ally with him against Sidious."

"I would never join you, Count! Qui-Gon Jinn would be ashamed of you!"

Dooku sighed. "Then it may become very difficult to secure your release."

 **A/N: This is probably shorter than usual, but I wanted to update after two weeks.**

 **I decided to have Obi-Wan order R4 to record a message then plan to transmit it shortly before jumping into hyperspace because of the fact it seemed smarter than just staying on the ground where he's completely vulnerable to attack. Unfortunately, in this scenario Obi-Wan's hyperdrive ring was destroyed and he was shot down.**

 **I mentioned buying Threepio from the Lars family because I was watching AOTC with a group from my church and the host humorously pointed out Padmé and Anakin technically stole Threepio.**

 **This chapter is hereby dedicated to all posthumous War on Terror recipients of the Medal of Honor as of January 13, 2015: Staff Sergeant Robert James Miller, Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti, Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, Corporal Jason Dunham, Specialist Ross A. McGinnis, Master-at-Arms Second Class Michael A. Monsoor, and Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith. Gentlemen, if you're reading this in heaven right now, thank you for your service and sacrifices. You are all true heroes.**


	20. Disassembly

**ME: Time for...an intergalactic incident.**

Phase One of our plan is almost complete, Count Dooku. Once the transports have been fully loaded with droids, we can launch Phase Two. This has been a most profitable enterprise.

 **(Foreman Wat Tambor of the Techno Union, speaking to Count Dooku, Head of State of the Confederacy of Independent Systems)**

En route to Geonosis, the Senator and her three Jedi escorts began to plan their rescue of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Alright, we'll need to secure all loose objects and strap in before exiting hyperspace," Chad said.

"Why?" Padmé asked.

Anakin: "In space, the sensors you rely on the most are thermal imaging and radar. We can't get stealth coating for this ship, but we can try and reduce our thermal signature by turning off the artificial gravity."

Serra frowned. "Hey," she said, "what about the shields? I'm no scientist, but if we try entering the atmosphere without shields, we could burn up."

Padmé smiled. "This ship's chrome coating is resistant to heat, we'll be fine."

The ship exited hyperspace, and at Chad's request Serra shutdown the artificial gravity.

"We are one minute out," Anakin said, checking the navigation computer.

"Alright, powering down engines now," his brother replied. "Hang on, everyone. Things could get-."

"-bumpy?" Serra asked.

"Well, I was gonna say crashy," Chad answered. "But yeah, bumpy works."

Needless to say, entering the atmosphere of Geonosis was not pleasant without engines or ray shielding. Fortunately enough, Serra reengaged the latter soon enough.

"Three, two, one," Anakin said, "now!"

Chad activated the repulsorlifts, keeping the ship from crashing to the ground. "Alright, easy part's over. Now we gotta find Obi-Wan."

Padmé tapped at the sensor station. "I've detected a landing pad, we can start there."

"Alright," Chad agreed, "sounds like a plan."

"Also, whatever happens out there," Padmé added, "try to follow my lead. Geonosis is not a member of the Republic, so anything violent could be considered an act of war. Hell, landing on this planet without permission is probably illegal. As a member of the Senate, I could find a diplomatic solution to this."

Anakin grunted in agreement. "I've given up trying to argue with you."

Chad smirked. "Anakin, Jedi or not, women are unpredictable. Don't let anyone tell you different."

Serra rolled her eyes. "And men aren't?"

After landing, the four exited the ship and found a door. Entering and turning down a hallway, Serra could've sworn she heard something.

"Wait," Anakin said, evidently having heard it as well.

The quartet turned around to find a group of Geonosians screech at and attack them.

"Anakin, protect Padmé!" Chad yelled. "We've got these bastards!"

"Back the fuck off!" Serra snapped at the Geonosians. Unfortunately (for them), either they didn't understand Basic or were simply stupid-quite possibly both-for the aliens did not retreat or surrender. As a result, her two green blades and Chad's blue one cut down the remaining insectoids.

"Cut a hole in the door, I'll cover you!"

"Got it!" Serra got to work and cut a circle in the door before performing a Force push.

Somehow there was no platform to even stand on.

"The Senator and Anakin..." Serra shook her head. "Fuck it, who designed this factory?"

A squad of battle droids marched behind them. "Jedi!"

"Open fire!"

"Roger, roger."

The two Jedi destroyed the nine droids quickly and efficiently. "We gotta find a way to shut off power to the machines," Chad stated. "Shut them down, and they can't hurt Anakin and Padmé."

"Agreed, let's move."

Besides droids, there were Geonosians providing security for the factory as well. Armed with sonic weapons rather than conventional blasters, their shots could not be blocked by lightsabers and thus forced the Jedi to be evasive and rely on the Force.

"There, it looks like this place's reactor," said Chad. "Let's disable the cooling-."

Two shots rang out, and Serra's loved one grunted as he fell unconscious.

Though she could sense his presence in the Force and didn't see any bleeding (meaning he was alive, thankfully), the female Padawan was pissed. Letting the Force guide her, Serra spun on her heel and intercepted a third bullet with one of her lightsabers.

A Mandalorian mercenary in gray and blue armor landed on the floor and opened fire with a sniper rifle in his hands.

"I shot your boytoy with an ICE round, kid," the bastard said as he tried and failed to incapacitate her. "Relax, he'll be fine."

Serra didn't respond verbally, she just Force pushed him into a wall.

Suddenly, it was as if the young woman was hit by a bolt of lightning. She screamed in pain before falling to the ground.

 **ME: A/N: I credit Ahsokafanboy1138 for his story, The Enemy Within, providing me with tips for the Geonosian infiltration.**

 **ICE stands for "Incapacitating Cartridge" and is a reference to Agents of SHIELD. The basic concept is that the bullets break up under the skin and deliver a chemical that knocks the target unconscious. To the credit of the writers, being able to quickly knock out the target without causing permanent damage is presented as a miracle, and the initial pistol version is a .45-a big round, fitting since it isn't easy to knock out a Human being in real life. So you'd probably need a significant amount of a chemical for an instant knockout.**

 **I decided to have the action focus on Chad and Serra because...well, I didn't feel comfortable adapting Anakin and Padmé's misadventure on the assembly lines.**

 **In case you guys are wondering, Serra was shot with an electrolaser round by Zam. I can't imagine being shot by one of those would be comfortable. Plus lasers travel at the speed of light and Jango had distracted Serra...**

 **I hope this chapter was good, I was up past 11:00/2300 Hours finishing it.**

 **In light of MLK Day, this story is dedicated to both a man who DIDN'T advocate for murder and riots (in contrast to dishonorable cretins that will not be named) and Sherman Ware, a homeless black man who was punched in the head by the son of a white police lieutenant when he tried to break up a fight. George Zimmerman, supposed white supremacist (who actually identified as "Hispanic" on voter registration forms, and his maternal great-grandfather was Afro-Peruvian, while his mother was from Peru), actually advocated for him and started a "Justice for Sherman Ware" campaign. So "Justice for Trayvon" activists-congratulations, idiots. You morons can't seem to use Google. Why don't you advocate for Jaron Holliday, someone who died for this country? He was a Corporal in the Army and served in the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division. He was killed in Iraq trying to help a nation that languished under the tyranny of Saddam Hussein. Trayvon Martin was a delinquent who died assaulting a neighborhood watch volunteer and beforehand had been suspended from school for truancy and tardiness, marking up a door with graffiti, and for having a marijuana pipe and an empty bag containing marijuana residue. Regardless of one's views on marijuana, Martin's behavior was NOT what most would define as acceptable behavior.**


	21. Geonosian Justice

**ME: Time for an update. Warning: VERY AU fate for a certain character ahead. This story's already AU, but even though I'll still probably get criticized over it I feel obligated as a profession to warn you guys.**

Where were the Republic and their Jedi thugs when Lythian pirates stole from, raped, and murdered us? Where was Master Yoda when Trandoshan slavers kidnapped our loved ones to be sold like livestock? What have we gotten for paying taxes to the Republic? When have we been rewarded for our loyalty?

 **(Alto Stratus, Chairman of the Jabiimi Nationalist Party, speaking at a pro-Confederate rally held in Choal, the capital city of Jabiim)**

Chad groaned as he awoke and found that he was handcuffed.

 _Kriff._

To the Jedi Knight's relief, he could still sense Serra. Looking over, he saw that she was lying on a bed and had her hands were restrained behind her back by binders as well.

"Serra, you okay?" Chad asked.

She grunted. "Yeah, I got hit by an electrolaser round. Some Mando jackass shot you with ICE bullets."

He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Hey, give that Mando some credit. Smart people go Jedi hunting with slugthrowers, not blasters."

Before Serra could retort, the door to their cell opened and a man in gray and blue Mandalorian armor appeared.

"On your feet, both of you," the Mandalorian said.

Chad said, "Alright," and struggled to his feet. The man kept his twin pistols trained on the two of them.

"Now march, _Jetiise_. And be grateful you two got shot by an ICE rifle and an electrolaser instead of a PEP laser."

Serra and Chad left their cell as ordered and saw another Mandalorian, this one a woman in green and blue armor.

Chad said, "Hey, Mando?"

"Shut up."

"Hey," he continued, "I was just asking if there were any other prisoners."

"The third Jedi and the Senator are being tried by Archduke Poggle for espionage, the murder of soldiers of the Geonosian Hive Army, destruction of property of the Geonosian Hive, illegal entry into Geonosis, and trespassing on property of the Geonosisian Hive. You two have already been found guilty of those crimes and sentenced to indefinite indentured servitude."

Chad's eyes widened immediately. "This is bullshit!" he snapped.

"Yeah!" Serra added. "How the fuck were they able to sentence us? We haven't had a trial!"

The female Mandalorian grunted. "Kids, this ain't Coruscant. I don't know how you _aruetiise_ do it on the Planet of Lights, but out here the Geonosians have trial by magistrate and you apparently don't have to be present in court for a trial. Now take a left."

Eventually the Jedi and Mandalorians made it to a balcony. There they found Count Dooku along with three Geonosians (two who were undoubtedly guards due to their sonic rifles, while the third looked like a VIP), a young Human boy with dark hair and eyes, and Viceroy Nute Gunray.

"Chad, Serra..." Dooku nodded politely. "You two have gotten older."

Chad glared at his former caretaker. "What. Happened. To. My. Brother?"

Gunray, of all people, spoke next. "The other Jedi, along with Senator Amidala, has been found guilty of crimes against the Geonosian Hive," he said without tact, "and sentenced to death. The two will be publicly executed by monsters along with the Jedi we captured earlier very soon. Personally, I'd have just gotten it over with and shot them. This is taking too long."

"Patience is a virtue, Viceroy," Dooku chided.

Chad shook his head. "I thought you were an idealist, Count. Not a murderer."

The Serenno noble shook his head. "I had no hand in selecting the method of execution, Chad. This is a Geonosian tradition, and since Geonosis is independent of the Confederacy I could not overrule the judgment of Archduke Poggle. Besides, the five of you all entered Geonosis illegally, and both you and Serra have Geonosian blood on your hands. It was a miracle to be able to get the Archduke to sentence the two of you to indentured servitude instead of execution, my boy. I hope you two will not make me regret my decision, but rest assured, Chad, that both of you will be treated appropriately for as long as I live."

Serra: "So we're supposed to be grateful that Padmé and Anakin are gonna die while we live? What about the assassin who tried to murder Padmé and fled here? What about your planned invasion of Coruscant?"

Dooku sighed and put a hand on Serra's shoulder as though he was her grandfather. "The Republic cannot be fixed, my dear. It's time to start over."

 ***CUT TO: EXECUTION ARENA***

"I was wondering if you got my message," Obi-Wan told his Padawan as he and Senator Amidala were chained to their pillars.

Anakin grunted and said, "We retransmitted, just like you asked. Then Padmé decided we should rescue you."

"Good job," Obi-Wan said sarcastically.

"You are welcome, Master."

The Geonosian Archduke, Poggle, spoke in his native language and the crowd cheered.

Three beasts were then brought out into the open; a nexu, an acklay, and a reek.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Anakin commented.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "We'll be fine, just be evasive."

"What about Padmé?"

The Senator in question had uncuffed herself and began climbing up her pillar. "She seems to be on top of things."

The acklay tried to stab Obi-Wan to death with its pincers, but he not only dodged the pincers but managed the acklay to break his chain.

Looking over to check on his Padawan, Obi-Wan saw Anakin dodge the reek, get on top of it, and use its strength to free himself.

Amidala had the worst luck; though the nexu hadn't harmed her, it kept the Senator confined to the top of the pillar.

Stealing a weapon from one of the Geonosian guards with the Force, Obi-Wan stabbed the acklay in the head and killed it while Anakin got the reek to stab the nexu and kill it.

 ***CUT TO: HALLWAY TO BALCONY***

Mace Windu felt the familiar prescence of Chad in the Force and used it to guide him.

What Jedi that could be spared were selected as part of a strike force to arrest Dooku and his fellow conspirators rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi. Accompanying them were Antarian Rangers, a paramilitary group that aided the Jedi Order.

Accompanying Mace was a ten-man squad of Rangers and two other Jedi-Master Glaive, a burly and gruff male Human, and Padawan Zule Xiss, a temperamental and abrasive female Falleen.

Once they were in position, Mace signaled Glaive, who promptly ignited his lightsaber and held his blade to a Mandalorian's neck. The two Geonosians turned around but were hit by stun bolts before they could fire. A second Mandalorian did not surrender but held her fire, probably out of concern for her comrade.

"This party's over, Dooku," he said.

Dooku frowned as Mace sliced off Chad and Keto's binders off. Padawan and Knight thanked him before recovering their lightsabers from their former captor's belt. "What is the meaning of this, Master Windu?" Dooku said. "This is not Republic soil."

"Count Dooku, you are to surrender _now_ ," Mace warned. "Your crimes include the attempted murder of a Senator and the attempted murder of two Jedi."

Dooku tapped at a comlink on his wrist. "Reinforcements are on their way," said the older man. "I suggest _you_ stand down now, Master Windu."

"Dooku," Mace said through gritted teeth, "this is your last chance to surrender peacefully."

"I refuse to beg like a coward, Master Jedi."

The second-in-command of the Jedi Council sighed. Dooku hadn't drawn his lightsaber, but Mace knew he was more than just an old man with legitimate complaints about the stagnant bureaucracy of the Republic. He was quite possibly at least a Dark Jedi now, and Dooku had not surrendered.

"Very well."

With one swing, Mace decapitated the former Jedi Master.

Both Glaive and Xiss were visibly shocked, evidently not expecting Dooku to be beheaded. Chad and Keto looked on in sadness. Gunray recoiled in horror (probably more due to the decapitation itself rather than because of any attachment to Dooku), while a young boy Mace now noticed vomited.

The Mandalorian Glaive held at saberpoint put his hands up. "Hey, my wife and I just work here!" he said.

"Yeah," said the second Mandalorian, evidently the first one's wife. "These guys are so barbaric, we can't wait to leave!"

 **ME: A/N: I said this was gonna be VERY AU. This chapter is dedicated to Sir Christopher *insert something I deleted out of decorum* Lee, a badass who probably could give Chuck Norris a run for his money. Besides being a prolific actor, Sir Lee volunteered to defend Finland from Soviet aggression, was a member of the British Special Forces, and helped hunt down Nazi war criminals. He also kept Dooku from begging for his life, even getting the script changed, because he did not believe Dooku would beg for his life.**

 **Giving Dooku the best AU death I could for this story was the least I could do for such a great man. Dooku, for all his faults, actually died with dignity and had class so few villains have.**

 **Now, don't think the Seps/CIS are gonna fold like a deck of cards. While the Seps did lose their founder, it'd be trivial for them to make propaganda and turn Dooku into a martyr. Plus some other Sith could take Dooku's place as Sidious's Dragon-in-Chief until Anakin was ready to takeover.**

 **On the brightside, Jango lives!**

 **Also, does anyone else notice that *spoilers* Stratus was kinda overpowered in the Republic Clone Wars comics? I mean, come on, all he has besides his repulsor boots is a sword (which probably is just a regular sword and isn't made of _beskar_ or cortosis), a shield (which Anakin promptly sliced in half), and a pistol he rarely uses. The dude doesn't even wear armor but he somehow is able to be an efficient strategist in spite of no mentioned command experience. Whereas Durge is practically a mortal version of ****Satan when it comes to sheer evil and ability to recover, Ventress is an elite Dark Jedi, Grievous is a fucking cyborg with lightsabers (and apparently was a Badass Normal before becoming a cyborg in Legends), and Pre Vizsla is a Proud Warrior Race Guy who wears _beskar'gam_ , isn't above using gadgets in one-on-one combat, and even wields a lightsaber.**

 **I had Coruscant nicknamed "The Planet of Lights" because it's a city-covered planet.**

 **Mace took Dooku's head off out of pragmatism. He was willing to decapitate Jango after disarming him, and an ex-friend named ForFutureReference (who I hope to reconnect with) said it would be too hard to take Jango captive and he could've used his suit to attack Mace. So if that's fine, killing Dooku for refusing to surrender is therefore justifiable homicide. Of course, Jango shouldn't have wasted time going for Mace's lightsaber and just shot his ass. Or just stay on the balcony and guard his client.**

 **Padmé avoided getting slashed by the nexu because it was stupid Fanservice as CinemaSins pointed out. Also, realistically her wounds would have significant risks like blood loss and infection.**

 **As for the Fetts being all, "Screw this, we're outta here!"...Mace decapitated Dooku. No client means no reason for Mandalorian mercs to want to stay. Boba vomited because an old man was decapitated in front of him, and when he laughed in AOTC I've noted he didn't know Obi-Wan at all really and it was space combat, not cauterized beheadings.**

 **Now to finish Battlefront: Twilight Company. It's better than the new game (which apparently features no campaign, and no, not even the awesome option of playing as a female Stormtrooper could redeem the new game if that's true). Also, imagine Serra as being at least 5'11; y'all can thank my good friend Ahsokafanboy1138 for that.**

 **I finished this late at night, so I hope you guys liked this. Hell, I accidentally posted this on TECD. Thank you for your attention.**


	22. Pyrrhic Victory

**ME: Now for an update of The Future Menace. Because of what happened last chapter...things are gonna get a bit AU for Anakin.**

 **Also, I wonder-while Sora Bulq and Pong Krell would make decent Sith Lords, I do wonder who should take over as the Confederacy's Head of State. There does need to be an official leader, after all, and I doubt Krell or Bulq, unlike Dooku, would be good political figures.**

Count Dooku's transmitter indicates that he is dead. Lord Sidious will be most displeased.

 **(General Grievous, Supreme Confederate Commander)**

Suddenly a group of hulking battle droids came into view, raised their arms, and opened fire.

Master Windu was able to deflect the shots aimed at him, but the two Antarian Rangers closest to him were both fatally wounded.

The Mandalorian mercenaries and the boy fled, Archduke Poggle choosing to do so as well. Gunray wisely kept out of the way.

Serra didn't care for the five; the situation was FUBAR, so the survival of herself and the others took priority over apprehending the fugitives.

"Get off the balcony!" Chad yelled as he and Windu held off a pair of droidekas. "We'll be overrun at this rate!"

The eight surviving Rangers obeyed and rapelled down to the ground. Serra, along with Glaive and Zule, leaped off the balcony instead.

Droids and armed Geonosians alike moved in and engaged the strike force while the civilian audience fled.

"Rangers!" Serra shouted. "Shoot at the Geonosians, they're armed with sonic blasters! Repeat, target the Geonosians! We can't deflect their shots!"

As the fighting continued, one of the bulky droids fired a missile at Master Coleman Trebor. The missile was powerful, for in addition to blowing up the Council member a fragment sliced off Anakin's right arm.

"Anakin!" yelled Obi-Wan as his Padawan screamed in pain and clutched at his bleeding stump.

Chad rapidly cut down a dozen Geonosians and droids in retaliation, while Serra sighed sadly when she realized what she would have to do for her love's brother.

"Sorry, Anakin. This is gonna hurt."

Using one of her lightsabers, Serra cauterized Anakin's stump. It caused him even more pain, but fortunately the bleeding stopped.

The battle continued to get worse and worse for the Jedi and the Rangers. For all their efforts, the Separatists simply outnumbered them and did not hold back. Soon, only a handful of Jedi were alive, with even less Rangers surviving due to their light armor, lack of cover, and inability to deflect the particle bolts from the droids' blasters. Serra suspected Padmé survived only due to taking cover behind her.

Suddenly the droids and Geonosians stopped firing. _What?_

"Republic dogs, surrender!" said one of the droids, probably a commander of some kind. "My superiors guarantee your survival in exchange for your compliance!"

"We will not be hostages to be bartered with, droid!" Windu snapped back.

"We have you outnumbered! Resistance is futile!"

Serra heard what sounded like ion engines and repulsorlifts.

"We've lasted long enough," she said.

The droids and Geonosians looked up. "Hostile-," the droid commander began to say.

Missiles crashed into the enemy. It seemed they were all using electromagnetic pulse warheads, for the droids shut down and the Geonosians' weapons were disabled.

Transports landed and disgorged soldiers in strange white armor that covered them head-to-toe. Though a few of them and two Antarian Rangers were shot and either killed or wounded, the few remaining Separatists were all eliminated.

"Onboard, everyone!" Master Yoda yelled. "Hurry, we must!"

"Thank you, Master!" Chad yelled as he hauled a wounded soldier to safety with Serra's help. Anakin had, in a testament to his fortitude, managed to walk onto a gunship unaided despite both Obi-Wan and his brother offering to help.

The transports took off. "Who the hell are you guys?" Serra asked one of the men in white armor. "Not that I'm ungrateful, thanks for saving our asses. Just who are you guys?"

Remarkably enough, she got an answer. "We're clone troopers bred to serve the Galactic Republic, ma'am."

 ***CUT TO: PLANETARY COMMAND CENTER, GEONOSIS***

General Grievous, now the highest ranking Confederate on Geonosis with the death of Count Dooku, contacted Lord Sidious.

"Speak, General," the cloaked figure said.

"My lord," said Grievous, "I regretfully inform you that Count Dooku was murdered by the Jedi and that the Republic has launched an invasion of Geonosis with an army that, until now, we had no idea existed."

"I had already sensed Dooku's death in the Force, General Grievous," Sidious said. "Regardless, you must cut our losses on Geonosis. Am I understood?"

"Your wish is my command, Lord Sidious," the Kaleesh General replied. "I will withdraw what troops and ships I can from Geonosis at once."

"Good, General. Sidious out."

Having received his orders, Grievous conferred with his subordinates. "Plan One-Eight-Six-One is now in effect," he said. "Prepare all transports for immediate takeoff. All droids are to commence a fighting retreat immediately; any units that cannot be evacuated are to go down fighting and kill as many Republic troops as they can. Have Vulture droids cover the withdrawal of our ground forces."

"Sir, the Vultures are currently occupied dealing with the Republic's fighters. They cannot provide close air support at this time."

Grievous shook his head. _Droids are too incompetent._ "We must still withdraw what we can," the General said. "Officers of the Confederacy, you have your orders, now carry them out!"

 ***CUT TO: HANGAR OF ACCLAMATOR-CLASS ASSAULT SHIP GRS _MAJESTIC_ ***

The Republic had taken considerable losses, but now Geonosis had fallen and all the Separatists who had not been killed had surrendered, gone into hiding, or retreated. The droid transports that had escaped would undoubtedly travel to different parts of the Confederacy, so the war would go on.

Chad, who had downed his share of enemy starfighters and then some, approached the clone officer in charge of the unit he had been assigned to, the 182nd Legion.

"Commander, what's your name?"

The clone stiffened. "My designation is CC-Six-Six-Six-Six, sir," he said.

 _Clones. Breeding slaves for battle._ Chad felt morally uncomfortable with the concept of a slave army, especially since Anakin had grown up as a slave, but he would fight for his friends and these men who had the misfortune of being created to fight and die for others. "I asked for your _name_ , Commander," Chad said, "not a number."

"General Skywalker," the clone replied, "I was never given a name."

Chad sighed. "You know what, pal? Until we can get a better name, I'm calling you 'Sixes.' It's easier than calling you by your number, and know this: You aren't some droid that looks like a Human, you _are_ a Human in your own right. You're not just some genetic copy, you're a sentient being just like me."

"Understood, sir."

Chad smiled. "That's a start," he said.

He met Serra in a private cabin. "Glad to see you're still alive," Chad said.

"Same here," Serra said. "Looks like the future's gonna be even more unpredictable now considering we just started a war."

"Well, one thing is for certain," said Chad. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

The two lovers engaged in a kiss and could already envision their wedding. It would be a challenge to hide their relationship, but it was worth it.

 **ME: A/N: Since it's Valentines Day, maybe I should make a one-shot of Chad and Serra's "first time." Granted, I have no experience with writing lemons at all.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to the men and women who have fallen fighting terrorist organizations, ranging from Al-Qaeda and ISIS to Iran's Quds Force. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your sacrifice and rest in peace.**

 **I'm honestly thinking of including the crew of _Serenity_ from Firefly in TECD and/or maybe even this story (with Mal as a Confederate soldier, probably). Though I haven't gotten beyond the fourth episode yet (Netflix has been a Godsend, but I haven't had time lately for Arrow, Firefly, and POI for various reasons), so no spoilers please.**

 **Anakin had to lose his arm somehow in this AU. Also, the pilot not shooting down Dooku in canon on the basis of him being out of rockets was stupid. First off, rockets are unguided. Second off, Dooku was riding a damn speeder bike. How hard would it be to shoot him down with the gunship's laser cannons? The only explanation is that Dooku had a rapid-fire Idiot Ball nerf gun and shot Jango with it on accident (seriously, why go for a lightsaber when he could just shoot Mace?) in addition to shooting clones and Jedi with it.**

 **Also, while I was originally thinking of giving Chad a scutum-style lightshield (I was inspired by the Roman Legionnaires), I decided against it. Like Kallus's helmet in canon, it'd look cool but would actually be realistically impractical in a fight since Chad would risk injuring himself unless it was made of hard light rather than plasma. He could make it like the droid commando shields to avoid cutting himself on accident, but unless he used lightsaber-resitant metal it'd be vulnerable, besides being heavier. So at most I'll give him gauntlet-mounted shields like Durge for now.**

 **For those of you thinking Chad and Serra decided to tie the knot too quick, Anakin and Padmé got married after about a week of romance (and not seeing each other for years), as my good friend Ahsokafanboy1138 lampshaded in his awesome story _Rains of Jabiim_ , whereas Chad and Serra have known each other for most of their lives.**

 **"GRS" means "Galactic Republic Ship." I wonder what a rebel ship would have for her prefix-ARRS (Alliance to Restore the Republic Ship)?**

 **On a random note, imagine how awesome a Rooster Teeth-produced Star Wars show would be with Disney providing the budget. Seriously, fans of RWBY and/or RVB will know what I'm talking about.**

 **Also, does anyone else notice that Disney can get remarkably dark? Ex: Frozen, The Incredibles, Big Hero 6, Up, Rebels...and that's just stuff I've seen.**

 **Really random, TFA-related note *spoilers ahead*-does anyone else notice how Finn is basically the Bowe Bergdahl of the Stormtroopers? Now don't get me wrong, he didn't exactly enlist voluntarily as an adult, but from the perspective of the First Order he's the traitorous deserter who abandoned his buddies to go join the filthy terrorists.**

 **Also, I hope you guys know about maglev. Look up Magneticglide for more info.**

 **I wonder-are Rogue Planet and The Approaching Storm worth reading? I'm considering buying Outbound Flight already on the recommendation of Ahsokafanboy1138**

 **Last but not least, I hope you guys enjoyed this update. Also-HAN SHOT FIRST! That is all.**


	23. Marching to War

**ME: Alert-this chapter takes place after "The Wedding Night of Chaderra."**

President Tikkes, the new Head of State of the Confederacy of Independent Systems following the death of Count Dooku, has signed a declaration of war against the Republic. President Tikkes has stated that, "The Republic is a corrupt bureaucracy run by Coruscanticentric pseudo-democrats. The murder of Count Dooku by Mace Windu will be avenged."

 **(HoloNet News report following the Battle of Geonosis)**

Padmé awoke next to Anakin, got out of bed, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Morning, Ani," she said.

"Ugh," he groaned. "Five more minutes, that's all I need. I swear."

The Senator of the Chommel sector shook her head. "I'll just shower by myself then."

Her new husband immediately got up and rubbed his eyes. "Screw sleep, I won't be able to see you for awhile with the war kicking off. I'm not gonna take you for granted, Padmé."

She chuckled as Anakin opened the door to the bathroom. "Take a picture, it lasts longer."

After the two were done showering, they joined the other newlywed couple for breakfast.

"Did you take the pills I gave you, Serra?" Padmé asked the younger woman.

"Yeah," Serra replied. "Thank you, those'll probably help."

The four ate breakfast, chatting throughout the meal. After that was done, everyone went up to brush their teeth and pack their bags.

"Stay safe, Ani," Padmé said. "Chad, Serra, promise me you'll protect him?"

"He's my brother," Chad replied. "My job is to keep him out of trouble or get into it with him."

The trio of young Jedi left via the T-6 shuttle they had used to transport Padmé back to Naboo. Chad set a course for Coruscant and engaged the hyperdrive, sending them on their way back to the Jedi Temple at speeds faster than light.

"Alright," the Jedi Knight said after he activated the autopilot. "So, I'm a General, and you two are Commanders."

"Yeah, Chad," Anakin said. "Apparently Padawans are gonna get regiments or brigades to command, though most likely they'll end up as the second-in-commands of their masters as well."

"Good luck on making a new lightsaber, Anakin," Serra said. "I'm gonna walk around for a bit."

Chad looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "We're on a freaking T-Six, how are you gonna walk around?"

"Hey!" Serra said. "Because you deflowered me last night, Chad, I kinda have an awkward walk right now. I gotta get back to normal or Master Drallig will notice."

He frowned. "Shit, I probably should have asked him first."

Serra rolled her eyes. "He's my _master_ , not my father. Though even without the Code, I doubt you'd get permission from him anyway. The old man isn't exactly your biggest fan."

Chad: "Good thing you are, though." He then kissed her on the cheek, prompting Serra to blush before she excused herself.

The shuttle exited hyperspace and they were now staring at Coruscant. Nicknamed "the planet that never sleeps," among other things, the capital world of the Galactic Republic now hosted the Headquarters of the Grand Army of the Republic. The fact that a force of soldiers and ships was assembled without anyone in the Galactic Senate or Jedi Order knowing about it honestly frightened Chad, but the young Jedi knew now wasn't the time to ask questions.

After they were cleared by Temple ATC, the shuttle landed and Chad was greeted by a Senate Commando he knew.

"Lieutenant Obrim?" he asked.

"Captain Obrim now, sir," Obrim corrected. "The Supreme Chancellor wishes to see you and your brother, Master Skywalker. Please come with me."

Chad looked at Serra, who shrugged. "Don't worry, I'll go catch up with Barriss and Nahdar. Have fun."

"Thanks."

Obrim and his three subordinates led the Skywalker twins to a shuttle, which lifted off and took them to the Republic Executive Building.

Chancellor Palpatine greeted the two brothers warmly. "Welcome, Master Jedi," the grandfatherly man said. "Anakin, I'm terribly sorry to hear about your arm."

"Thank you, Chancellor," Anakin said. "Don't worry, I'm getting used to my new arm."

Palpatine nodded and turned to Chad. " _General_ Skywalker," he said, "I read of your proposal to use a black, white, and gray camouflage scheme for the troopers under your command, the One Hundred and Eighty Second Legion. Additionally, you have requested MRAP shields for your soldiers."

Chad appreciated the use of his military rank; evidently the Chancellor had faith in his capabilities as a leader. "Your Excellency," Chad said, "I believe this war will involve a lot of urban combat. Therefore, my men should be able to blend in better in a city. Additionally, MRAPS will enable my troops to use their rifles while having additional protection in the form of an MRAP shield."

"Understood," Palpatine replied. "I am allowing for camouflage and unit markings for increased combat effectiveness and morale, respectively, my friend, so your first proposal is approved. However, it may take some time for the MRAPS to be available for your legion."

Getting back to the Jedi Temple, Anakin and Chad promptly got to work. The former began to build a new lightsaber to replace his first one, which had been lost in a Geonosian droid factory, while the latter sent a request to Commander Sixes and started working on a personal project of his.

 ***CUT TO: HALL OF HEALING, JEDI TEMPLE, CORUSCANT***

Obi-Wan groaned as he got to his feet. Even after a stint in a bacta tank, moving around after being hit by a lightsaber was _not_ easy.

"Glad to see you're back, Obi-Wan," Anakin greeted him smiling. "I have a surprise for you."

"Good to see you're having fun," the bearded Jedi Knight grimaced. "What is this surprise?"

Anakin pulled out a cylindrical device out of his robe. Obi-Wan nodded and said, "A new lightsaber? That's a pleasant surprise."

"Not the surprise Anakin was talking about," Chad said as he came around the corner. The younger Jedi Knight, instead of wearing robes, was dressed in what looked like modified clone trooper armor. "I'm ready."

Anakin ignited his new lightsaber and slashed at his brother, who activated a pair of circular shields that were projected from his gauntlets. The right one intercepted the blade.

Obi-Wan gasped. "Are those...lightshields?"

Chad nodded and deactivated them. "Yup, lightshields. These babies are operate on the same principles of a lightsaber, using laser-induced plasma to form a shield. I originally planned to have a larger one, but unless it used hard light instead of plasma it wouldn't be practical to use it and a lightsaber simultaneously. I'd risk injuring myself."

"Hey, Master Kenobi!" Serra yelled.

He frowned. "What is it, Serra?"

"Bad news: Jabiim's government has been overthrown by the Jabiimi Nationalists, we've been ordered to help retake the planet. Apparently the planet's rich with ore, so letting the Separatists have it would lead to an invasion of the Core Worlds."

Obi-Wan nodded and refrained from sighing at the senseless violence overtaking the galaxy. "Then it's time to go."

 **A/N: I included Serra taking birth control pills because my good friend Ahsokafanboy1138 pointed out it'd be smarter to take those even if she got sterilized.**

 **I originally planned for Chad and Anakin to go to Ilum, but Ahsokafanboy1138 said he thought it was only a right of passage and that Jedi would be able to construct additional lightsabers at the Temple if they needed or wanted to. Plus guys like Anakin and Chad would probably be wanted near the Temple whenever not on assignment due to the fact a war's going on.**

 **Also, theory: The 200,000 units mentioned in AOTC didn't refer to individual clone troopers.**

 **I mean, come on. Three million is pretty low already (but wasn't created by Karen Traviss, so suck on that, Traviss haters; also, the Senate was debating ordering a mere five million clones in TCW, which is less troops than what France had during WWI, yet none of you filthy hypocrites said a word then), but 200,000? That's barely larger than the active-duty United States Marine Corps.**

 **However, one guy noted that the Kaminoans refer to clones as both "units" and "battalions." Let's assume that each battalion is composed of, say, 500 infantry clones. Multiply that by 200,000 and you get 100,000,000. A bit more reasonable, wouldn't you say, for galactic level warfare?**

 **The MRAPS are named after ballistic shields manufactured by Baker Ballistics. The cool thing is that you can use a rifle with an MRAPS.**

 **Turns out that a scutum-style lightshield would be difficult to use without injuring yourself, unless you had metal between you and the plasma, and said metal would be vulnerable unless the alloy was resistant to lightsabers, like _beskar_ , phrik, or cortosis. So there goes that idea unless hard light comes around.**

 **Now to adapt the Jabiim comics, people.**


	24. Landing at Monsoon Mesa

**ME: Time for the Battle of Jabiim to be adapted. BTW, I am considering if the Republic should lose or win this time. Come to think of it, even though Jabiim was a nice story arc, you'd think losing an ore-rich world would be quite consequential for the Republic. I mean, come on. Think of all the droids that could be constructed, yet the strategic impact was never really brought up in the other Republic Clone Wars comics.**

My people, sons and daughters of Jabiim, now is the time to rise up against the oppression of the Republic! Now is the time to take back what is rightfully ours! Now is the time to depose the traitors who serve as Coruscant's puppets! Now is the time for Jabiim to finally prosper after millennia of suffering!

 **(Alto Stratus, Chairman of the Jabiimi Nationalist Party)**

Master Windu began the briefing. "There have been numerous uprisings since the Battle of Geonosis, with Dooku's death being used by the Separatists as a rallying call in their propaganda," he said. "One of the worst cases is Jabiim, a muddy world with constant rainy weather where Nationalist leader Alto Stratus has revolted with support from the Separatist military. We've lost contact with the Judicial peacekeepers sent to Choal, but if the Separatist Alliance propaganda reports are true, they were defeated and the Nationalists have seized control of the planetary government. Master Kenobi, Chad, you two and your troops are being assigned as part of the campaign to retake the planet. Padawans Skywalker and Keto will serve as your second-in-commands. A year ago it was discovered that Jabiim is rich in ore, so we cannot afford to lose the planet or the Separatists will be able to construct even more droids. Any questions?"

Chad raised his hand. "What support can we expect from the local population, Master?" he asked. "From what I've read, the Jabiimi tended to get the short end of the stick, so Stratus and his backers will have plenty of resentful citizens."

The older man frowned. "Yes, the Nationalists enjoy considerable support. From what information we have on Stratus, his parents were killed at a young age by pirates, causing him to develop a hatred for both the Republic and the Jedi due to lack of aid. However, while Stratus is a charismatic speaker, it should be noted he has no known military experience whatsoever. Do not underestimate him regardless, but know that you are dealing with a politician, not a veteran commander. As a result, Stratus will react differently than, say, a man or woman who was an officer before rising to power."

Obi-Wan typed notes on Stratus into his datapad. "Excuse me, Master Windu, are there any local Loyalists willing to fight beside the Grand Army?"

Windu nodded. "Affirmative," he replied. "There is the Jabiimi Planetary Guard, commanded by General Khamar. It's a paramilitary force that tries to protect the Jabiimi from threats both external and internal in spite of the odds being heavily against them. Assuming there are any survivors, they probably will be willing to fight with us. At the very least, they will not take up arms for the Separatists. Are there any questions?" When no further hands were raised, the Jedi Master dismissed them and said, "May the force be with you."

Chad, Serra, Anakin, and Obi-Wan promptly proceeded to the Temple Hangar.

"I'll see you both when we hit the dirt, Anakin," Chad told his brother.

"Same here," Anakin replied as he and Obi-Wan boarded a shuttle.

Chad and Serra boarded their shuttle, a _Nu_ -class one. Also onboard were Sergeant Makx Maganinny and Corporal Odie Subu, two Antarian Rangers who had survived the Battle of Geonosis and had volunteered to fight in the Grand Army, as well as Commander Sixes and a few other clone officers from the 182nd.

"Sir, all troops are being loaded onto the _Acclamator_ -class assault ship _Leveler_ as we speak," Sixes said. "All of the Legion's armor suits have been camouflaged per your orders and we were able to get the MRAPS. Additionally, by direct order of the Supreme Chancellor you have been assigned an ARC trooper."

Both Serra and Chad raised their eyebrows. "What's an ARC trooper, Sixes?" Serra asked.

The Commander frowned. "Commander Keto, ma'am," he said, "ARC troopers are the GAR's elite special operations soldiers. Jango Fett, our template, once said that, 'If the Jedi officers ever have a problem, they can opt to send one ARC trooper, four commandos, or one hundred infantry troopers to deal with it.' Not that that's entirely accurate, Commander, since there are situations in which one class of troopers will be appropriate for and situations in which they will not be appropriate for. But that's besides the point."

Chad cleared his throat. "Who is the ARC trooper, Sixes?"

"Lieutenant Alpha-One-Seven, sir. He's an Alpha-class ARC trooper from what I know-they were raised to be loyal to the Republic by Fett, but aside from their accelerated aging the Alphas are completely unaltered. As a result, they tend to be more... _independent and argumentative_ , General. Oh, and 'ARC' means 'Advanced Recon Commando.'"

"Understood, Sixes," said Chad. "Thanks for the info."

"You're welcome, sir," Sixes said.

The shuttle landed, and after the ramp descended they were saluted by a man in working rig.

"General Skywalker, sir," the man said, "I'm Captain Gilad Pellaeon, Commanding Officer of _Leveler_. Welcome aboard."

Chad returned Pellaeon's salute and shook hands. "Glad to hear that, Captain. Permission to board?"

"Granted," Pellaeon said, grateful to see the courtesy was observed even if he was somewhatannoyed at the Jedi Knight for saluting with his head uncovered, Army or not. "I see you brought additional passengers as well."

Chad nodded and indicated Serra. "The lovely lady here is my XO, Commander Serra Keto. Commander Sixes here is my Senior Commander, and the other clones are his staff officers. Sergeant Makx Maganinny and Corporal Odie Subu are Antarian Rangers who have been assigned to me as bodyguards, and even if I don't need the protection I appreciate them having my back."

"Glad to meet you all," Pellaeon said, shaking their hands. The clones, unused to the social ritual, handled it awkwardly but with the discipline that came from being bred as soldiers. "Commander Keto, do you have anything with sleeves? I prefer a more professional dress code aboard my ship, plus _Leveler_ is not a safe environment."

Serra frowned. "Didn't think that would be an issue, Captain," she admitted.

"Thank you for your honesty, ma'am," said Pellaeon.

Chad coughed loudly, hoping to resolve the situation. "Would this help?" he said as he unzipped his bag and threw Serra one of the two tunics he had packed for whenever he was out of his armor.

She pulled it on. "It's comfy enough," Serra said.

"I'm satisfied as well, General Skywalker," Pellaeon added. "Though you and the Commander do seem fairly close in age for a Master and his Padawan."

He shook his head. "Actually, Serra's Master Drallig's apprentice. He just didn't become an officer and has instead opted to remain at the Temple to train lightsaber combat. She was assigned to me since she hasn't been Knighted yet."

"Understood, sir," the naval officer said. "Why don't we meet with your ARC Lieutenant, General? He's already come aboard, though I warn you."

A new voice cut him off. "Are you going to tell General Skywalker about how blunt and rude I am, Captain Pellaeon?"

Chad decided that the ARC trooper, while a bit abrasive, seemed to have a personality of his own. Hopefully he'll take orders and be an effective force multiplier.

 ***CUT TO: PRESIDENTIAL MANSION, CHOAL, JABIIM***

President Alto Stratus, the newly installed leader of Jabiim, frowned as he talked with one of the advisors the Confederacy had sent. "What do you mean, _the Republic must be allowed to land on the surface?_ "

The Muun Admiral, a man named Pors Tonith, smiled and shook his head. "Mr. President," he said, "you have a way with words, but clearly this is not the same case for your grasp of strategy. Space combat over Jabiim, unlike ground combat on your planet, does not grant us any inherent advantages. As a result, President Tikkes and General Grievous have opted to send a small naval force sufficient only to delay the Republic Navy but a large ground force to assist your people in defeating the Jedi and their clone minions. Warfare may have advanced throughout the years, but in the end infantry are ultimately invaluable even in an interstellar conflict, for they are what enable the taking and holding of planets."

"Very well!" the politician snapped. "But know this, Admiral: If my people are not truly liberated soon enough, it will be your fault, not mine!"

Tonith nodded politely as if he agreed with Stratus's sentiment and left the room. He honestly possessed little respect for the glorified rabble-rouser, but the man was the public face of the CIS on Jabiim and thus the Muun officer made sure not to anger him whenever he could.

"Captain Tuuk," he asked the CO of his flagship, CSS _Dooku_ (renamed in honor of the fallen Count of Serenno), "how goes the construction efforts?"

"Good, Admiral," the Neimoidian answered. "The engineers have already erected the shield projector, and the generator for it should be online in about an hour at most, sir."

"Excellent work, Captain." The core ship had been landed on the planet both to keep it from being destroyed by the inevitable Republic naval response and to better control the droids, who still needed a Central Control Computer for optimum efficiency, in light of the weather of Jabiim. The shield projector was being erected to protect _Dooku_ from being bombarded, especially since the ship would be a priority target.

"I hope you naval officers don't mind being on the ground."

Both men turned to find the source of the voice; Commander Asajj Ventress, a former protégé of Count Dooku, accompanied by Commander Durge, a hulking figure neither Tonith nor Tuuk wished to deal with.

"I do prefer space combat myself, Commander Ventress," Tonith said. He didn't like Ventress or Durge, but he was wise enough not to deliberately antagonize either of them.

"You'll get back to your domain soon enough, _banker_ ," Durge sneered at him. "Once Asajj and I kill off the Jedi the Republic sends here and their Mandalorian clones, you can get off this planet. The only question is how to handle Stratus and make sure he doesn't kark anything up."

Tonith snapped back, "And I'm sure you can get back to your fantasy grav-ball league after Jabiim has been secured-," before Durge grabbed his neck.

"Put him down, Durge," Ventress said casually as her partner strangled the former financier. "Unlike Stratus, Tonith's clever enough to be useful to us and killing an Admiral will just get us in hot water."

Durge grunted in annoyance but complied.

 ***CUT TO: BRIDGE OF GRS _NEGOTIATOR_ ***

As his new flagship, _Negotiator_ , travelled through hyperspace, Obi-Wan went over the list of Jedi assigned to the mission via his datapad:

Senior Jedi General Daakman Barrek

Senior Jedi General Shon Kon Ray

Senior Jedi General Knol Ven'nari

Senior Jedi General Voolvif Monn

Senior Jedi General Glaive

Senior Jedi General Nico Diath

Senior Jedi General Jon Antilles

Senior Jedi General Pol Norcunna

Senior Jedi General Jakob Sirrus

Senior Jedi General Kossex

Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi

Jedi General Ellia Leska

Jedi General Tarr Seirr

Jedi General Chad Skywalker

Jedi General Rallcema Bylissura

Jedi General Dalnus Cam

Jedi General Sana-Jis Ilowa

Jedi Commander Tohno, Executive Officer (XO) to Senior General Pol Norcunna

Jedi Commander Kass Tod, Executive Officer (XO) to Senior General Knol Ven'nari

Jedi Commander Mak Lotor, Executive Officer (XO) to Senior General Voolvif Monn

Jedi Commander Tae Diath, Executive Officer (XO) to Senior General Nico Diath

Jedi Commander Elora Sund, Executive Officer (XO) to Senior General Kossex

Jedi Commander Vaabesh, Executive Officer (XO) to Senior General Shon Kon Ray

Jedi Commander Windo Nend, Executive Officer (XO) to Senior General Jon Antilles

Jedi Commander Zule Xiss, Executive Officer (XO) to Senior General Glaive

Jedi Commander Sha'a Gi, Executive Officer (XO) to Senior General Daakman Barek

Jedi Commander Aubrie Wyn, Executive Officer (XO) to Senior General Jakob Sirrus

Jedi Commander Anakin Skywalker, Executive Officer (XO) to General Obi-Wan Kenobi

Jedi Commander Serra Keto, Executive Officer (XO) to General Chad Skywalker

Twelve Padawans, seven Jedi Knights, and ten Jedi Masters. Then there was the number of clones assigned to them, as well as the fleet of ships assigned to break the Separatist blockade and transport the troops. It seemed like a massive amount of resources for just one planetary campaign, but such was the nature of galactic warfare, and Jabiim's untapped ore resources made it a valuable target.

The plan was simple; break the blockade, land troops, and defeat the local Separatists in order to both save the local Loyalists and keep the enemy from being able to build more droids and ships with Jabiim's ore deposits.

 _Negotiator_ and the other Republic warships exited hyperspace, where they were met by four _Munificent_ -class frigates. It was a quick battle; six to seven Munificents were needed to outgun a single _Venator_ -class Star Destroyer, and for once the CIS was outnumbered.

Now it was time to send in the ground forces.

 ***CUT TO: MONSOON MESA, JABIIM***

Colonel Orliss Gillmunn sighed to himself.

He was now the highest ranking officer left for the Guard. Everyone who outranked him was dead, incapacitated, had defected...not that it mattered, since the Colonel was still the one responsible for a losing battle.

Gillmunn had gathered what troops he could and withdrawn to Monsoon Mesa. The elevated position and steep cliffs enabled the Loyalists to survive longer then they would normally have, but the Guard was running out of ammunition and supplies.

The Colonel checked his rifle and pistol-the end was near, and if he was gonna die, Gillmunn vowed to go down fighting.

"Sir!" a female Guardsman said as she approached.

"What is it, Corporal?" he asked.

The young soldier cleared her throat. "You won't believe it-we're receiving a signal from the Republic! They've sent reinforcements, Colonel!"

 _Yeah, sure._ But the Colonel knew morale needed to be kept as high as possible, so instead he said, "What's their ETA?"

"About seven minutes, Colonel Gillmunn."

The fighting continued. Suddenly the wave attacks stopped, and one of the Nationalist officers yelled, "Republic dogs, surrender! We have you surrounded!"

Gillmunn decided to stall for time. "How can I be assured that my troops will be treated fairly?" he asked.

"Because there is no way a soldier fighting for the Jabiimi people could possibly treat you nearly as horribly as the corrupt and decadent Republic has!" the Nationalist said. "Do not die for the sake of-."

Missiles flew in and slammed into the Separatist lines as if on cue.

Transport ships descended from the sky and disgorged soldiers covered head to toe in body armor. Accompanying them were Jedi Knights with ignited lightsaber blades who deflected the particle bolts of battle droids and Nationalist soldiers alike. Unable to stand their ground, the Separatist soldiers disengaged and retreated.

For the first time in his life, Colonel Orliss Gillmunn of the Jabiimi Planetary Guard fell to his knees and offered a prayer of thanks.

 **ME: A/N: I don't see the Judicial peacekeepers lasting long, especially since I imagine them as being like UN peacekeepers: Conspicuous guys who aren't really effective at fighting off opposition from what I've seen. Seriously, I've talked to one former Canadian Army Lieutenant, Criosd Pherein, who was an infantry officer during the Cold War and he had this to say about the UN:**

 **"I think a lot of the issue with the UN is they want to be a police force and not an army so they go in too lightly armed for the conflict and with weak ROEs. They're stuck in the glory days of the 60's and 70's when placing yourself between hostile forces was enough. That doesn't work anymore as we've seen. For us this changed in Bosnia, post-Rwanda, where we went in more heavily armed and with more aggressive tactics and pushed the opposing sides apart creating the peace they now have."**

 **I made Gillmunn a Colonel, similar to my good friend Ahsokafanboy1138's awesome fanfic, _Rains of Jabiim_ , because it honestly seems more fitting in my opinion for the leader of a planet's Loyalists.**

 **Also, sorry for relative lack of action for the same time related reasons. Suggestions for the next chapter will be appreciated.**

 **I wonder if there would be additional batches of ARCs and commandos grown like the infantry (I.e. All the baby and cadet clones we see that clearly aren't old enough for combat). Granted, promoting guys like Echo, Fives, and Corr to special ops status still makes sense due to losses and the fact all three clones are legitimate badasses even if they weren't modified or trained as kids to be elite clones like the ARCs or RCs.**

 **Also, appreciate any reading time you guys get. I haven't been able to read Labyrinth of Evil, the MedStar books, Allegiance and Choices of One, The Approaching Storm, Outbound Flight, the Lost Tribes of the Sith short stories, or Shatterpoint. Seriously, they've been paid for but I haven't found the time to read them, so they just available on my iBooks app, practically mocking me.**

 **Shroud of Darkness was a decent episode and offered a decent insight into the past of Inky (I refuse to call everyone's favorite Pau'an the Grand Inquisitor, because honestly it kinda makes the Inquisitors look like chumps).**

 **You guys can thank Ahsokafanboy1138 for the first names of Leska, Nocrunna, and Sirrus.**


	25. Blood and Rain

**ME: Now for a bunch of Jedi to die. Come on, it's war.**

The Republic has arrived, General Grievous. Already the Jedi and their clones have destroyed the frigates I left in orbit. However, they did not destroy the embarked infantry battle droids, which, sir, were all offloaded. Between the weather, the numerical superiority of the droids, the inexperience of the Jedi when it comes to being military officers, and the Jabiimi Nationalists, I say the odds are in our favor.

 **(Rear Admiral Pors Tonith, speaking to his superior, General Grievous, Supreme Confederate Commander)**

On top of Monsoon Mesa the Republic had established Shelter Base, a Main Operating Base (MOB) that was made the headquarters of the Jabiimi Security Assistance Force (JSAF). At the MOB, a hospital was established to treat wounded soldiers and injured civilians while hangars were constructed to house fighters needed to provide air support. Having repealed the droids and Nationalists assaulting Monsoon Mesa Jedi conferred with Colonel Gillmunn on the situation of Jabiim.

"Colonel, I regret to inform you that we have confirmed your status as the highest ranking Guard officer on Jabiim," Obi-Wan said.

Gillmunn sighed. "Understood, sir," he replied. "Shall I commence the briefing on Stratus?"

"Please, Colonel Gillmunn," Senior General Barrek said, wanting to learn everything he could about their enemy.

The Jabiimi Loyalist projected a holographic image of Stratus. "Alto Stratus lost his parents to Lythian pirates as a child," he began. "As a result of this and other atrocities that did not receive Republic aid in spite of Jabiim paying its taxes, he founded the Jabiimi Nationalist Party. After Count Dooku's death on Geonosis, Stratus initiated a coup with his followers and killed most of the Loyalist members of Congress as well as the President and Vice President. He has promised the Separatists mining rights in exchange for support."

"Can we negotiate with Stratus, Colonel?" Commander Vaabesh asked. "A peaceful resolution to this conflict would be better than a violent one, especially given the grievances of the Nationalists."

Gillmunn looked Vaabesh in the eye, which was impressive considering the Padawan wore a mask to avoid being poisoned by oxygen. "No, son, we _cannot_ negotiate with Stratus. It is more accurate to say that Stratus _will not_ negotiate. He already has murdered multiple politicians, either by his own hands or ordering it. The bastard's sheer hatred for the Republic and all who support it is just too strong for him to be reasoned with. Plus there is this video he released just last night."

Gillmunn then displayed a recording of Stratus personally forcing nine Judicial peacekeepers into a cage at gunpoint and locking it. The Nationalist leader then lowered the cage into the river it was being held above, drowning the desperate and pleading peacekeepers.

When the recording finished, most of the Jedi in the room had visibly paled and all were silent.

"All right," Chad said, being the first to speak, "can we track down and eliminate this SOB?"

"Murder is not the Jedi way, Skywalker," Senior General Kossex chided.

"With all due respect, ma'am," Gillmunn said, "General Skywalker's idea has merits. Stratus is an unstable rabble-rouser and terrorist, so killing him would prevent him from endangering the lives of Loyalist and even neutral civilians any further. However, Stratus is protected by a special forces unit known as the Nimbus Commandos, so any attempt to capture or kill him will not be easy."

"Nor will defeating the Separatists," Anakin added. "There were four Separatist frigates in orbit, _Munificent_ -class. Each one could have carried up to one hundred thousand and fifty B-One battle droids, leaving a bare minimum of six hundred thousand droids if the Separatists were smart and landed them. That's not including other reinforcements from the Seps and the Nationalist Army."

"We are Jedi, young Skywalker," said Senior General Antilles. "We can bring peace to this troubled world."

The meeting concluded and the Grand Army, aided by Jabiimi Loyalists like the Guard and pro-Republic partisans, began to move beyond Monsoon Mesa to retake Jabiim.

What no one on the Republic side knew was the fact that two very deadly Confederates had been dispatched to Jabiim to ensure the planet remained under the control of the Separatist Alliance.

 ***CUT TO: BRIDGE OF CSS _DOOKU_ , OUTSIDE OF CHOAL, JABIIM***

"Sirs," said Commander Merai, the Executive Officer of _Dooku_ , "the technicians report they are ready to activate the shield. The radar shows all aircraft are clear of the shield's diameter."

Admiral Tonith smiled. "Good work, Commander. Now it is time to reap the profits of our investment."

The Mon Calamari officer gave the order, and the shield activated. Now the Republic would not be able to attack the command center of the Confederate forces on Jabiim.

"With the shield active, Commander, we are not only invulnerable to orbital bombardment but able to divert additional power from the reactor to communications," Captain Tuuk said. "This is invaluable given how it is harder to send and receive signals on a world like Jabiim."

Commanders Ventress and Durge nodded. "The clones and Jedi have landed," Ventress said. "With the central control computer safe, Durge and I will now be able to deal with the Republic Army."

Tonith: "Good luck with that, Commanders. Maybe Stratus will actually show some gratitude for once."

"Don't be unrealistic, Admiral."

 ***CUT TO: COBALT STATION, JABIIM***

The Grand Army had established a number of forward operating bases to support tactical operations, with Cobalt Station being one of them.

Serra was now wearing tactical glasses to provide a HUD and protection for her eyes in addition to one of Chad's tunics, and had tied her long black hair back in a ponytail (having opted to simply change her hair style by avoiding making side tails just to save time). Originally she had worn the tunic to satisfy Captain Pellaeon, but Jabiim was wet and cold, prompting the young woman to keep wearing the tunic. Besides, the thing was big and comfy since Chad was taller and broader than her, it was like a day long hug for her, and it smelled like him.

"Any orders yet, Chad?" Serra asked her husband.

"Negative," Chad replied, wearing all of his armor but the helmet. "There's no way the Separatists are going to give up without a fight-."

The voice of Master Barrek interrupted him. "General Skywalker! General Skywalker!"

"Yes, Master Barrek?!" Chad asked. _Shit, I had to jinx us._

"We're under attack by a massive Separatist force at Outpost Cobalt Alpha Seven! I repeat, we need reinforcements at Cobalt Alpha Seven immediately!"

"Understood, Master," he responded. Chad then turned to Serra. "All right, let's get the men moving."

"Right."

Soldiers from the 182nd Legion were en route to Cobalt Alpha Seven via gunships within minutes. Obi-Wan contacted Chad and began to brief the younger Jedi Knight.

"The enemy has attacked in force at the outpost Master Barek and his Padawan were inspecting," he said. "Since Shelter Base and our FOBs are better protected and we have spread out our forces since landing at Monsoon Mesa, I believe they are attempting to target our weaker positions first."

"That makes sense," said Chad. "What is the estimated size of the Separatist attack? What reinforcements are we sending to Alpha Seven?"

"The Confederate force could have anything from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of troops, both Nationalist and droid. We sent all of the Jedi and as many clones and Loyalists as we could spare," Obi-Wan answered. "We still needed to leave men behind to protect our other bases. May the Force be with you and Serra, Chad. Kenobi out."

The gunships landed, depositing the Jedi and their subordinates. A pale woman with two red lightsabers and a giant clad in armor stood at the head of the Separatist forces. Master Barrek's headless corpse and his scalped Padawan, Sha'a Gi, lay nearby.

"Oh, Grievous is gonna be so jealous when he figures out how many Jedi he could have killed here," the giant said.

"We'll just have to send him a holo, Durge," the pale woman said.

Serra and Chad, being the ones farthest from the giant called Durge and the Dark Jedi, opted to engage the rest of the Separatists along with the clones and Loyalist volunteers. Both would've preferred helping out the others, but neutralizing the battle droids and Nationalist soldiers was just as important and they'd probably get shot in the back if all the Jedi were focused on Durge and the bald woman.

Serra charged at a platoon of Nationalist infantry and began to kill them off one by one. It was a lopsided battle in the Padawan's favor; the Nationalists only had helmets and blue uniforms for their protection, so any deflected blaster bolts proved fatal more often than not without any armor between the particle beams and the chests of the soldiers. In about ninety seconds the entire platoon lay dead at her feet.

None of the droids Chad went up against did any better, for they were mainly cheap B1 models built with quantity over quality in mind. Among them were B2 super battle droids-sturdier, smarter, and deadlier than their predecessors, but they were still taken out fairly easily. One of the SBDs tried shooting Chad in the back while he was distracted by a group of seven B1s, but Sixes promptly knocked the droid over with the butt of his rifle and put a burst of particle bolts into its head.

"Thanks, Sixes," said Chad, leaping in front of the clone and batting away blaster bolts as the Commander put his shield back on.

"You're welcome, sir."

Meanwhile the other Jedi had not proven as lucky. Pol Norcunna had been hit in his lekku by Durge with a spiked flail, causing him to scream in agony before being decapitated by the Dark Jedi. Rallcema Bylissura had been shot in the heart, while Dalnus Cam was killed shortly afterwards by a Separatist sniper while trying to fight the bald woman. Sana-Jis Ilowa had her throat slit by Durge. Kossex was shot multiple times in the back by a Nimbus Commando who had successfully ambushed her before being killed by a stray mortar round. Shon Kon Ray had been decapitated, while Voolvif Monn had been stabbed in the head. This left Nico Diath, Jon Antilles, Knol Ven'nari Glaive, Jakob Sirrus, Ellia Leska, Tarr Seirr, and Obi-Wan Kenobi as the only Masters and Knights still fighting the two Separatists.

"Who the hell are you?!" Anakin shouted as he tried to aid his master in combat against the Dark Jedi.

"Asajj Ventress," she said simply before slashing the Chosen One across his face, giving Anakin a vertical scar and causing him to scream in pain.

Nico Diath successfully stabbed Durge in the chest. However, instead of dying the gigantic Separatist merely laughed and punched him in the throat, crushing Diath's windpipe. Durge then pulled out a slugthrower pistol and shot Ellia in the small of her back, causing the young Jedi Knight to scream in pain and fall to the ground.

"You should have just killed her," Ventress complained, annoyed, for she was busy blocking blows from both Sirrus and Obi-Wan and thus was unable to simply chop Ellia's head off. "If you want the Jedi to suffer on the battlefield, you have to settle for it being quick and efficient or even they will exploit any opportunities you give them!"

"Hey, nothing wrong with leaving them alive so we can torture them later," Durge shot back. "We have to think about the future of our entertainment."

"Will you two both shut up?!" Knol Ven'nari snapped as she and Tarr Seirr charged at Durge.

"Oh, you're no fun," Durge said as he fired at the Bothan and the Cerean with two pistols-a blaster and a slugthrower, respectively.

Suddenly, just as they were getting close enough to start slashing at him, Durge dropped his blaster pistol and switched to a fletchette launcher on his left arm. Knol had seen the move coming and was able to deflect the flechettes with the Force, but Tarr realized what Durge had planned too late and one of the flechettes hit him right between the eyes, piercing one of his brains.

"You've killed your last Jedi, Durge!" Knol snapped as she sliced his slugthrower pistol in half.

Durge shoved the half he still held into one of the Bothan's eyes, causing the Jedi Master to scream in pain. Durge then punched her repeatedly in the head, cracking Knol's skull.

"That was for destroying my favorite slugthrower, bitch."

Jon Antilles, Glaive, and Zule Xiss approached cautiously.

"You're a nasty bastard who's probably won dozens of bar fights, asshole," Glaive snarled, trying to intimidate Durge even though the abrasive Jedi Master knew it was likely to be in vain. "But so am I, and I've won approximately two hundred bar fights."

"I stopped keeping count after a thousand!" Durge replied as he closed the gap while firing flechettes at the trio. Unlike Tarr, they were well prepared for it and deflected all Durge's shots successfully. The Separatist giant activated a flamethrower and was able to set both Antilles and Glaive on fire. The former was killed, while Glaive (who shoved Zule out of the way in an uncharacteristic display of compassion) was able to shield himself from the worst of it to a certain extent and dropped to the ground before rolling around to smother the flames.

"Fuck you, buddy," Glaive cursed as he struggled to his feet before being decapitated by Ventress, who had ran over to assist Durge. Zule, angered at the death of her master in spite of the two not getting along well, stabbed Durge in the back of his head only to have her arm sliced off by Ventress. The young Falleen screamed in pain as she was Force-pushed away by the bald Dark Jedi.

Durge grunted in annoyance. "Shit, these Jedi are going down like chumps."

Anakin and Obi-Wan moved in, followed by Sirrus after he checked on Ellia and Zule.

"Give up, my dear," Obi-Wan said. "You can't possibly kill all of us."

Ventress laughed at the absurdity of her opponent's desperate words. "The majority of you Jedi are already dead," she sneered. "You three are all exhausted, and the boy's already been scarred by me. Once we kill you three, then we'll off the Padawans of your fallen since they're all busy hacking away at cheap droids. You will fall, as all-."

Suddenly a ball of mud slammed into Ventress's face, cutting her off.

Chad and Serra rushed in, green and blue blades alight. "Shut," Serra said. "The fuck. Up. Bitch."

Ventress snarled and wiped the mud off her face. "Which one of you two lackeys of Palpatine did that?" she snapped.

"You two got spunk," Durge said before either Chad or Serra could answer. "Too bad I gotta kill you both."

The five Jedi promptly engaged the Dark Jedi and her gigantic companion in a fight. The quintet were joined by Sirrus's Padawan, Aubrie, who had cut her way through the Separatists single-handedly in a bid to aid her mentor.

Serra flew through the air after being kicked by Durge. Relieved to discover that she hadn't suffered any broken limbs or ribs, the female Padawan heard a whirring sound and moved evasively just before a sword severed her Padawan braid and ponytail.

The swordsman, who she recognized to be Alto Stratus, snorted. _"A girl?!_ " he said, his voice dripping with cockiness and contempt. "The Jedi send some _teenage girl_ to oppress the brave people of Jabiim?" He shook his head and said, "You probably haven't even finished going through puberty, child! And yet they send you to kill me, the Liberator of Jabiim?!

Serra rolled her eyes. "I'm nineteen, douchebag," she said as the Padawan easily evaded a thrust from Stratus before slicing his hand off. The politician screamed in pain, but somehow was able to discard the shield on his left arm and go for a pistol. Serra didn't give him a chance and sliced off his left arm, causing Stratus to scream even louder before she kicked him in the groin.

She snorted as he fell to the ground and began to whimper. "Puny Liberator."

Meanwhile Ventress had engaged Chad, Sirrus, and Aubrie in a pitched fight. Chad, being an athletic young man, was able to fend off Ventress easier than Sirrus could. Despite this, the Dark Jedi remained a tough opponent and actually was able to knock Chad's lightsaber out of his hands. Then she brought her own lightsabers down for the kill.

Chad activated his gauntlet lightshields just in time, and red plasma met green plasma. Ventress gasped in surprise, and Chad kneed her in the groin.

"You fuck!" she cursed, falling back.

Durge heard Stratus's screams and groaned. "Shit, now we gotta fall back and get a certain idiot to a hospital or Grievous will chew our asses out for losing Stratus."

Ventress nodded and ordered the Separatist troops to initiate a fighting retreat, knowing they had to cut their losses in light of Stratus's incompetence as a warrior. Meanwhile Durge knocked Serra aside and retrieved Stratus before running away with Ventress.

A few Nimbus Commandos, one armed with a missile launcher, stayed behind as their leader was carried to safety. The one with the missile launcher locked onto Aubrie and fired before he was shot in the chest by a sniper.

Sirrus reacted quickly. Knowing it was a heat-seeking missile, he jumped in front of it and was killed instantly but saved his Padawan. An enraged Aubrie promptly charged and began to hack at all the Separatists she could reach, organic and droid alike.

"Get behind me!" Obi-Wan yelled at Anakin as a few _Hyena_ -class bombers, having gotten past the Republic's fighters, began dropping bombs on the Republic lines. Obi-Wan was able to shield himself, but the force of an explosion from one of the bombs still sent him flying into a crashed Z-95 Headhunter. Anakin promptly destroyed the remaining droids with Aubrie while Serra called for a medic and Chad realized he was now the highest ranking Jedi on Jabiim who was still standing.

 _Well I'll be damned..._

 ***CUT TO: COMMUNICATIONS ROOM, SHELTER BASE, MONSOON MESA JABIIM***

Obi-Wan was now in a coma, while Ellia was now unable to walk since she had been shot in the spine.

Out of the seventeen Jedi Knights and Masters assigned to Jabiim, Chad was the only one who could still fight. Apart from Zule and the unfortunate Sha'a Gi, none of the Padawans had been severely injured or killed, so they were all dealing with the situation in their own ways.

Chad remembered Anakin looking at Obi-Wan's comatose body and knew his brother was mentally pleading to the Force for his master's survival. Chad remembered Aubrie had wept over Sirrus's bloody remains, for the man was like a father to her. Hell, he even remembered Zule shedding a tear for Glaive.

In spite of the odds against them, Chad knew it was his duty as the highest ranking able-bodied Jedi to report to both the Council and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.

"It is good to see you are alive, Chad," Palpatine said via the HoloNet link. "You are one of my most treasured young officers. But where is Senior General Barrek? As the Commanding General of JSAF, it is his duty to report on the status of our efforts on Jabiim."

"That's because he and all the other Masters are dead, sir," Chad explained.

"What?! How?!" Master Mundi asked, seemingly genuinely shocked.

"Master Mundi," said Chad, "there was this bald humanoid woman named Asajj Ventress armed with two red bladed curved-hilt lightsabers and an unstoppable giant who probably eats durasteel for breakfast." He then displayed an image of the two.

"That's a Gen'Dai," Master Ranciss said. "Virtually indestructible sentients, you can't sneak up on them due to their nervous system."

"Are there any survivors, young Skywalker?" Master Shaak Ti asked.

"Generals Kenobi and Leska both survived, Master," Chad said, "but he is now in a coma, while she was crippled by the Gen'Dai. His name's Durge, BTW. Apart from Commander Gi, all the Padawans are still alive but Commander Xiss had her arm chopped off. Where are our reinforcements?"

"None are available, Chad," Master Windu said. "You must retreat immediately."

Chad shook his head. "We probably cannot pull off an evacuation of all our men, Master, let alone the Loyalist fighters and civilians. Stratus is a mass murderer, he will slaughter anyone who isn't on his side. Also, the untapped ores will enable the construction of more droids and thus we will lose the war."

Master Plo Koon spoke next. "Skywalker, you are the only Jedi Knight capable of leading the Padawans into battle left. If you are killed, they will have no leader to guide them in the field."

"I have a solution," said Palpatine. "General Skywalker, I hereby designate you as the new Commanding General of JSAF. General Leska will serve as your second-in-command. Commanders Skywalker and Keto are hereby temporarily made Generals but will remain subordinate to both you and Leska."

"Chancellor," interjected Master Fisto, "you do not have the authority to promote Padawans to Jedi Knights."

"I did not Knight either of them, I made them Generals," Palpatine said. "This is both to compensate for our losses and in the event Chad here is killed or incapacitated."

"Thank you, sir," Chad said, grateful. "We won't let you down."

"Do not worry about me, General Skywalker. As you yourself said, we cannot let the Separatists make more droids with Jabiim's ores. I have complete confidence in your skills as an officer."

 **ME: I had Leska survive but be crippled to explore her character more while still making Chad the only Jedi Knight still capable of fighting. Also, Ahsokafanboy1138 had she and Aubrie as cousins due to looking similar, but I didn't mention it in this chapter since I didn't ask.**

 **Ahsokafanboy1138, God bless him, suggested fifty thousand as the number of clones sent to Jabiim, which is better than the canonical one of around ten thousand or so.**

 **Sixes rifle butting an SBD is a reference to a Red Shirt doing that in the old Clone Wars series. Considering the absurdly bad tactics seen in both TCW and the old show, that was a refreshing case of Truth in Television.**

 **Writing the deaths of the various Jedi was probably the hardest of this chapter. I hope you guys didn't think their deaths were stupid. Some of them died in rather mundane ways (i.e. shot in the back) because that's the nature of war; deaths tend to be anti-climatic. Hell, Leska died in the comic because she was distracted by sunlight after not seeing it for a while.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to Bishnu Shrestha, a retired Gurkha who fought off a band of train robbers who wanted to rape an 18-year old girl. Thank you, good sir, for ridding Earth of some fucking disgusting bastards.**

 **Palpatine giving Anakin and Serra brevet promotions to General looks pragmatic, but it's mainly so they think he trusts them more than the Council does.**

 **Any voice actors for the Padawan Pack? Perhaps some of RWBY's cast?**


	26. Plotting on Jabiim

**ME: Now time to get back to the story of Jabiim. I sincerely apologize for taking so long to update, I was busy.**

It's not the Jedi with their laser-swords and their faceless clones that scare me. It's their giant walking beasts that make me lie awake at night. You can feel the ground shake from their foot steps when they're getting closer. How can we fight those things?

 **(Anonymous Nationalist Army soldier)**

Captain Fordo and Lieutenant Alpha moved forward along with the scouts they had selected from the ranks of the Jabiimi Loyalists. Due to the conspicuous nature of their white armor, the two ARC troopers had resorted to rolling around in the mud in an effort to camouflage themselves.

"That is one large starship, sirs," a Guard officer cadet in his late teens named Nolan Gillmunn said.

"Agreed, kid," Alpha replied as he observed the Sep core ship with his rangefinder. It undoubtedly housed the central control computer needed to ensure that the droids performed optimally, which made it a priority target. Unfortunately, it was protected by a shield, rendering both orbital bombardment and air support worthless.

"We need to inform General Skywalker," Fordo said. "The success of the Republic depends on neutralizing the enemy CCC."

"Right," Alpha said. "But first, we have to get back to Monsoon Mesa."

Two Alpha-class Advanced Recon Commandos and a handful of Guardsmen against Jabiimi Nationalists and battle droids?

It was incredibly unfair-for the Separatists, of course.

 ***CUT TO: CSS _DOOKU_ ***

Stratus was annoyed at the fact that he had been bested by a teenage Jedi, and even more annoyed at the loss of his right hand and left arm. The Nationalist leader wondered why the Confederacy had even bothered sending Ventress and Durge if all they did was retreat at the first sign of trouble.

"My people had them on that battlefield!" Stratus yelled at the two as they walked to the bridge of CSS _Dooku_. "How could you idiots possibly screw things up?"

Ventress rolled her eyes. "With all _due_ respect, Mr. President," she said, "you should be thanking Durge and I. We have already killed eleven Jedi-twelve if you count the Padawan Durge scalped. So that's a dozen threats to the cause of the Confederacy and Jabiim removed. You're welcome, Stratus."

The politician fumed as they entered the bridge. Soon they were connected to the Deputy Supreme Confederate Commander and the newly promoted Admiral of the Navy, Sev'rance Taan.

"Admiral Taan?" Durge asked. "I honestly thought we'd be reporting to at least General Grievous."

"The General is unavailable at this time, Commander," the Chiss woman replied. "President Stratus, what is the situation on your planet?"

"Your thugs have failed, Admiral Taan!" Stratus snapped. "I stand before you with my right hand and left armed severed, all because these two failed to live up to their own reputations! How many more Jabiimi must die before we are free?"

Taan raised an eyebrow. "Commanders Ventress and Durge, what are your reports?"

"The President, against our advice," said Ventress, "had the bright idea of charging into battle armed with a sword and a shield. He tried to engage some female Padawan, but all he did was slice off some hair before she kicked his ass, Admiral. As a result, Durge decided to retrieve Stratus and I ordered a fighting retreat."

"Commander Durge, is this true?" the Confederate Admiral asked.

Durge: "Yes, ma'am. If not for Stratus getting injured, I would have been able to keep fighting with Ventress. But because of his idiocy, I had to save Stratus and thus she had to retreat out of prudence rather than fight against multiple opponents on her own."

"Don't you dare talk down to me on my own planet, Durge!" Stratus yelled. "Did your parents get murdered by Lythian pirates while the Republic refused to send help? Did your younger brother die due to lack of medicine? Was your cousin kidnapped by Trandoshan slavers to be sold to and raped in some Black Sun brothel?"

"Here's the deal, Stratus," Taan said, her patience wearing thin. "In exchange for the Confederacy's generous support, you will grant us access to your planet's untapped ore reserves. If I withdraw the CIS forces on Jabiim, we will lose our chance to extract the ores of Jabiim, true. But without the support of the Confederacy, your forces will be overrun by the Republic Army and you will be arrested and executed for treason. Do you understand me, President Stratus?"

Stratus nodded, realizing he would have to swallow his pride. "Yes, Admiral Taan," he said.

"Good," the Chiss woman replied. "Commander Durge, Commander Ventress-your objectives are unchanged. Destroy the Republic troops and eliminate or capture any Jedi you encounter. Long live the Confederacy of Independent Systems."

 ***CUT TO: SHELTER BASE, MONSOON MESA, JABIIM***

Chad called a meeting of the remaining senior Republic officers in order to break the news. As the young General walked to the room he encountered Corporal Odie Subu, one of the two Antarian Rangers assigned to him.

 _Where's Sergeant Maganinny?_

"Corporal Subu," he asked, "where's your Sergeant?"

"Dead, sir," she answered somberly. "Maganinny threw himself on a grenade, he was killed instantly but saved everyone else."

 _Kriff._ "My condolences."

"Thank you, sir."

Once all of the Padawans, Ellia, Commander Cody (the clone officer in charge of the 7th Sky Corps), Sixes, and Colonel Gillmunn arrived, Chad began the briefing.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that the Council is not sending reinforcements anytime soon."

"What?!" Gillmunn exclaimed. "Surely your superiors know the strategic consequences of losing this planet, General Skywalker! If the Separatists win, sir, they will be able to construct massive droid armies and overwhelm the clones through sheer numbers!"

Chad nodded. "Yes, Colonel, this is frustrating and will not make our lives easy. Fortunately, there is good news. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has made me the new Commanding General of JSAF; General Leska will serve as my second-in-command. Additionally, both Padawan Keto and Padawan Skywalker have been made Generals temporarily but will remain subordinate to myself and General Leska. Finally, unlike others, I am not some bleeding heart weakling. The Nationalists will be neutralized without mercy."

"Master Skywalker, such sentiments conflict with the Jedi Code," Vaabesh said. "But you were trained under Master Windu and have been made a Knight of the Republic, so I trust the Council's judgement."

"Kark the forcedamn Code, Vaabesh!" Zule snarled, still sore about losing her left arm and Glaive to Ventress (not that she would admit the latter). "We have a war to win, and Master Skywalker here actually knows what he's doing!"

"Thank you for the compliment, Zule," Chad said.

Gillmunn cleared his throat. "With all due respect, sir," he said, "I would prefer a more experienced Jedi Master or Knight, but these are not ideal times. Given your actions as an officer both on and off the battlefield, the odds remain against us, General Skywalker, but we do stand a chance of succeeding with you in command."

Chad: "Thank you for your honesty, Colonel. Rest assured that I will not hesitate to remove Stratus and his minions from power by any means necessary."

"I'm grateful for that, sir," Gillmunn replied.

Anakin tapped at the holotank. "Chad, we're gonna need to send out recon teams in order to assess the Separatist forces," he said. "Satellites won't be as useful, of course, but I'd still like if we had some idea of how many troops the Separatists have and where their strongpoints are, as well as any possible weakness we can exploit."

Chad smiled. "That's why I had Captain Fordo and Lieutenant Alpha get a few Guardsmen to act as guides and backup before going on a scouting mission. Their objective is to assess the defenses around Choal, the capital city."

Ellia shook her head. "I guess the only reason I'm not still in the hospital is because Kenobi's in a coma," she told Chad. "Not much use you can get out of a cripple like me."

The younger Jedi Knight shook his head. "That's a load of shit, Ellia," he replied. "It wasn't your fault some sadistic monster chose to torture you for his sick amusement. Besides, even if you can't walk, you can help coordinate our forces from here. That's just as important as fighting on the front lines."

Aubrie, Ellia's younger cousin, put a hand on her shoulder. "He's right, you know," she said. "You shouldn't be ashamed of being crippled since it was because you fought on the frontline's, Ellia."

"Thank you, Aubrie," she responded. "You have my thanks as well, Master Skywalker. I simply am upset due to the fact I can't walk anymore, apologies for-."

"You don't need to apologize, Ellia," Chad interrupted. "If I got shot in the spine, I probably wouldn't be in a good mood afterwards either."

There was a knock on the door. Serra looked at Chad, and when he nodded she went over and opened it.

Alpha stepped into the room as he saluted Serra. "Good day, Commander Keto," he said. "Did you get a haircut?"

Serra rolled her eyes. "That Stratus sleemo did it," she answered. "Bastard tried to chop my head off, but all he did was get my ponytail and braid. I ended up kicking him in the groin, so it all evened out."

All the men in the room involuntarily winced even though they did not sympathize with Stratus. "Did you find anything, Alpha?" asked Chad.

"Affirmative, sir," the Lieutenant said, inserting a datacard into the holotank and bringing up an image of a Separatist core ship. "By the way, Colonel Gillmunn, your son volunteered to help guide us to the outskirts of the capital."

"Choal?!" the Colonel said. "The Nationalists own that entire city now!"

"And it seems as though they've landed a core ship," said Mak. "Please continue, Alpha."

"The Separatists, as you can see, have landed a Trade Fed core ship on the outskirts of Choal," Alpha elaborated. He then tapped at the holotank, displaying a shield projector. "Unfortunately for us, it seems as though they don't want a repeat of Naboo, because the core ship is protected by a planetary shield generator. As a result, even if we can get the Navy to help their turbolasers won't be able to so much as touch that core ship."

"Excuse me, Lieutenant," Tohno asked politely, "but I thought the battle droids were upgraded after the Battle of Naboo to operate independently of a central control computer. Also, wouldn't a core ship normally be in space?"

"Idiots like Gunray are cheap when it comes to military equipment, so the droids will still need a central control computer for optimum performance," Chad countered. "The atmosphere must make it hard to send signals from space to the planet, so as a result they sent it down here." He remembered the naval engagement prior to landing on Jabiim being so lopsided in the Republic's favor and groaned. "Son of a-. No wonder why they've been able to erect a shield generator so quick," said Chad. "It's clear the Seps wanted us to land so they could defeat us on the ground. By landing the core ship, not only are they able to increase the performance of their battle droids but also protect such a valuable asset with the shield generator rather than risk it being destroyed in space."

Cody frowned. "Sir, a frontal assault is unlikely to work," he said. "Within all odds, General Skywalker, they will have a large concentration of troops stationed on the outside and inside of the shield to protect the ship from a ground attack."

Chad nodded. "Indeed, Cody. So some of us will have to sneak onboard and destroy the ship from the inside out."

 **ME: A/N: In case you guys were wondering, I had Anakin scarred last chapter to explain how he got his scar. Also, the quote is a reference to the first part of the Jabiim comic, where two Nationalist grunts (who had been happily talking to each other) felt an AT-AT coming. Even though the Jabiim arc had its flaws, it was still a legitimately good story and I liked that instance of psychological warfare.**

 **Stratus really should have gotten himself therapy.**

 **Leska and Aubrie being cousins is Ahsokafanboy1138's idea. He came up with it due to them looking similar. I had Ellia be a bit cynical because I doubt someone just shakes off being shot in the spine and crippled.**

 **I dedicate this chapter to the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in Belgium. Hopefully this will convince the more gullible Westerners to realize that ISIS is a band of savages who seek the destruction of modern civilization.**

 **Apologies for those of you who think this was kinda boring or too similar to the second chapter of _Rains of Jabiim_. Any theories on who should infiltrate the core ship and destroy it as well as ideas for the next chapter in general? I was thinking maybe Chad and a few other Jedi disguise themselves as Nimbus Commandos and sneak aboard while the others launch a diversionary attack. Regardless, I thank all of you for your patience and hope you guys liked this even though it was somewhat short.**


	27. Collapse

**ME: Twilight of the Apprentice was awesome, guys. Now for me to continue my adaptation of the Battle of Jabiim.**

I'm sorry, Lieutenant H'Arman. but your wingman has not been recovered. It is likely that Ensign Strom is either trapped behind enemy lines or simply did not survive. We will try and rescue him, but with the threat of the Nationalists and their Separatist allies we will be unable to look for him for some time.

 **(Commander Oddball of the Republic Navy)**

The Republic and Loyalist leaders had finalized a plan for their next move. Chad would take Anakin as well as Corporal Odie Subu and Lieutenant Erk H'Arman (a Z-95 pilot who had volunteered for ground duty after his fighter had been shot down), disguise themselves as Jabiimi Nationalists, and infiltrate the core ship in order to take out the central control computer by any means necessary. Since no chances could be taken, Fordo and Alpha were ordered to assemble a unit and destroy the shield generator in the event that Chad's team failed to blow up the core ship. The Trade Fed vessel would be more difficult to destroy conventionally, but without the added protection of the shield generator the Republic's SPHA and repulsorlift howitzers could actually touch it. Serra would be in command of the diversionary assault, while Ellia would help coordinate the operation from Shelter Base. Aubrie, Kass, Mak, and Colonel Gillmunn would fight with Serra as the tip of the spear. Tohno, Elora, Tae, and Commander Cody would help protect the left flank, while Zule, Vaabesh, Warble, and Commander Sixes were responsible for the right flank.

"Serra?" asked Ellia.

"Yes, Master Leska?" answered Serra.

The young Jedi Knight lowered her voice. "Please try and keep Aubrie alive, Serra," Ellia said. "We're at war, yes, but I can't be on the battlefield to protect her anymore."

Serra nodded. "Aubrie's tougher than she looks," she said. "But as a General, I have a responsibility to achieve victory with minimal loss of Republic life. So I promise to protect Aubrie as much as I can, just as I will try to protect Colonel Gillmunn, Kass, Mak, and all the clones and Guardsmen. We will lose people, but it won't be because of me not caring if I lose troops and friends."

"Thank you, Serra," said Ellia softly.

Chad looked over the table of organization and equipment (TOE) that Serra had prepared with the help of Ellia in his quarters via a datapad. "I don't doubt your capabilities as a tactician or strategist, Serra," he told his secret wife. "I just want to know why you divided up our remaining officers as you did."

Serra nodded. "I'm glad you asked," she said. "Stratus strikes me as more of a speaker, but it's better to be on the safe side and overestimate him than underestimate him. I'm worried about him-or, more likely, one of his officers, possibly even those psychos who led the attack on Cobalt Alpha Seven-using a pincer maneuver, so our flanks need to be well protected. Zule's the most aggressive Padawan left, Vaabesh is calmer but not really an ideal officer, while Warble can keep the peace between the two. Overall they're a pretty balanced trio and they all know to listen to Sixes, so I think the right flank is relatively safe. Tae and Elora work well together thanks to a telepathic link, while Tohno's pretty calm and collected if a bit naïve when it comes to war. I don't know Cody as well as I do Sixes, but he's a good fit for them and will definitely be great at helping fight off attacks on our left flank. We need someone to lead from the front, so I decided to put myself at the tip of the spear. I work with Kass and Mak well enough, and those two not only work well together but seem fairly close. Not that I have any room to report them, but both'll go the extra klick to save the other; hopefully that won't cause them to make fatal mistakes. Aubrie's not the best at combat, but she's a great healer and the units up front are gonna take a lot of casualties, so I have two reasons to keep her close to me. Gillmunn being in charge of the Guard makes him essential for coordination."

Chad nodded. "No plan survives first contact with the enemy," said the Jedi Knight. "But it's a good one regardless. Just a couple of things, Serra. One, if you have to choose between me and the mission, sacrifice me. My life isn't worth twenty clones or Guardsmen."

"Hopefully I won't have to make that choice," Serra said in a low voice.

"Hey, I still have one thing to say," said Chad. "Stratus would probably be a shitty barber, but you still look hot with short hair."

Serra blushed as her husband kissed her on the lips and embraced her. "Thanks, Chad."

Fordo (wearing repulsorboots for extra mobility) stood near a gunship, where Anakin and Chad met him. "Sirs," the ARC Captain said, "Lieutenant Alpha and I have assembled a unit to take out the shield generator. They're waiting in the gunship with Lieutenant H'Arman and Corporal Subu. We're ready to move on your command, General Skywalker."

"Good work, Fordo," Chad said. "Let's get moving."

The gunship sealed its doors and took off. Chad ordered Leska via comlink to move the Republic troops into position before changing into his disguise; the uniform of a Nimbus Commando. Already he, Anakin, Erk, and Odie had practiced with recovered repulsorboots and rifles, though the disguised quartet knew they had to get to the core ship quickly or risk being discovered, for no one overestimated his-or her, in the case of Odie-skills at deceit.

"Touching down now, sir," the pilot, a Lieutenant that Anakin had named Hawk, said. Hawk made sure the LAAT/i landed close enough for the troops to get to their objectives quickly but far enough that the Nationalists wouldn't be able to detect the gunship.

"Alright, boys and girl," Chad said. "We have a job to do, move it out."

Odie smirked under her helmet.

 ***CUT TO: OUTSKIRTS OF CHOAL, JABIIM***

"Leska to Serra, come in," said Ellia.

Serra tapped at her earpiece. "Go ahead, Master Leska," she said.

"All units are in position, Serra," Ellia told her. "You may commence the attack, may the Force be with you."

"Right away, Master Leska," Serra replied before switching channels. "All units, this is General Keto. Attack immediately! I say again, we are to engage immediately!"

The Republic's artillery bombarded the Separatist positions outside the shield, surprising the Jabiimi Nationalists and their CIS allies. Taking advantage of their cannons' covering fire, the Grand Army and the Jabiimi Guard moved forward and engaged the enemy as they came into range. Both the clones and the guardsmen sought cover, knowing that to stand in the open would be suicidal. AT-TEs and other Republic war machines engaged Separatist armored vehicles and provided support for the infantry.

Tae deflected blaster bolts with his lightsaber as he fought to protect the left flank along with Tohno and Elora. Seeing as though the vast majority of their enemies were cheap B1 droids and poorly equipped Jabiimi Nationalist soldiers in blue uniforms, the male Padawan thought a charge would be able to resolve the situation quicker and with less casualties.

"Come on!" Tae ordered as he turned to the troops and waved. "We have to advance-."

A Nationalist infantryman and a battle droid promptly shot Tae repeatedly, riddling his back with blaster burns. A few clones had obeyed out of Kaminoan conditioning and were cut down as well.

"TAE, NO!" Elora screamed. Her psychic link with her fellow Padawan meant she felt the pain of his death as though she experienced it herself. The backlash proved too traumatic for the young Sullustan, and she died in agony.

"How the hell did she die?" a grizzled Jabiim Guardsman Sergeant asked Tohno as he fired at the advancing Separatists. "Commander, I didn't see your friend get hit!"

"She wasn't!" Tohno answered, still perplexed that Tae thought trying to initiate an infantry charge was a good idea. "Elora had a psychic bond with Tae, the backlash from his death must've too great!"

The morale of the infantry on the left flank of the Republic attack lowered considerably at seeing all but one of their three Jedi Commanders die. The Separatists pressed the attack and the flank failed.

"General Leska, we're getting hit hard from the left!" said Serra as her troops came under attack from more Separatists. "We need reinforcements, do you copy? Over!"

"I copy, Serra," Ellia replied. "Unfortunately, no reinforcements are available. Cobalt Station and a number of its positions are under attack, I had to send troops or the Separatists would have a clear shot to Monsoon Mesa. Until further notice, you're on your own."

"Understood!" Serra replied before cutting the link.

"Ma'am, when are our reinforcements getting here?!" Gillmunn asked as he emptied an entire magazine into the Separatist ranks.

"Leska doesn't have any troops to spare at the moment!" she answered.

"How?" Mak asked incredulously.

"The Seps attacked Cobalt Station!" Serra explained. "I literally just learned that from her!"

"Murphy's kriffing law," Kass cursed out of frustration.

Aubrie tried to keep their hopes up and said, "Remember, we just need to hold out until the CCC has been neutralized."

"One can hope, Commander Wyn," Gillmunn said as the Colonel reloaded his rifle. "One can hope."

Meanwhile, Chad and Fordo's groups had split up. The ARC Captain had waited for the Separatists to be distracted by the attack. Once the majority of the Nationalists and droids had been sent to the front, Fordo, Alpha, and their fellow soldiers charged through the shield. They lost a clone and a Guardsman in the process, but luckily were able to make it to cover otherwise intact.

"Alpha, now!" Fordo ordered as he shot at a group of advancing Nimbus Commandos with his dual blaster pistols.

"Backblast clear?" the Lieutenant asked.

"Clear!" one of the Guardsman said.

"Copy that, firing now!" said Alpha as he squeezed the trigger. "Rocket out!"

The thermobaric rocket slammed into the shield projector's dish, damaging it and cutting off power to the shield as a result. However, Fordo wasn't satisifed and opened a channel to General Leska.

"General Leska, ma'am," he said as the clones and Guardsmen retreated to a safe distance, "the shield is down. I repeat, the shield is down. However, the generator itself is still intact. Say again, the shield generator has not been destroyed yet! How copy?"

"I copy, Captain," Leska replied. "Requesting confirmation that the shield is down but the generator itself is still intact, over."

"Confirmed, General," affirmed Fordo. "Recommend you order an artillery strike, ma'am."

"My thoughts exactly, Captain Fordo," said Leska. "Stand by to adjust if need be, all I can spare is one cannon. It's an absolute meat grinder at the front."

A single railgun round soon slammed into the building, the kinetic force causing the structure to collapse and bury the generator.

"General Leska, cease fire. Target destroyed, repeat, the generator has been buried."

"Acknowledged, Captain. Interrogative: What's the status of General Skywalker's mission? Over."

Fordo swallowed. "Unknown, ma'am."

 ***CUT TO: CSS _DOOKU_ ***

Alarms blared throughout _Dooku_ as the battle outside raged on.

Having mind tricked the Neimoidians on guard duty at the entrance to let them pass, Chad and his fellow infiltrators entered a turbolift to head for the command deck where the bridge and central control computer were located.

"Who's in charge of security here?" Erk commented in disbelief. "It's as if they've never heard of asking for ID."

Anakin shrugged. "Don't look a gift bantha in the mouth," he stated. "Realistically, they just have to keep the entrances secure since this is a starship. We're in uniform as well, so that lets us get away with a lot."

"Plus it's not as if the outside is undefended," Chad added. "So poor security, but not piss-poor. Not that it'll matter, but stay sharp regardless."

The quartet exited the turbolift and headed for the room where the central control computer was stored. Two B1s stood at the door, guarding what made them and their fellow droids more effective in battle.

"What are you four doing here?" asked one of the droids. "The only organic soldiers allowed on the command deck normally are all members of the Confederate Defense Force, you Nimbus Commandos are part of the Nationalist Army and thus not members of the CDF. What's going on?"

"There's been a security breach," Odie said, surprising the three men, who had expected her to stay quiet.

"A security breach?" the other droid said, clearly confused. "Why weren't we informed of it?"

Anakin and Chad decided that bluffing wouldn't work and destroyed both droids with a combined Force push, simultaneously blowing the blast door inward.

"What the-?" exclaimed Admiral Tonith, having not expected the intrusion at all.

Chad and Anakin drew their lightsabers (which had been concealed at the smalls of their backs) and both ignited them with one hand while sending both of Tonith's bodyguards flying backwards with their other hands.

Chad scanned the room for threats, finding only technicians and officers but still considering them as potential threats. Men, women, and children were all capable of killing others. He then ripped off his helmet and asked, "Who's in charge here?"

Without hesitation all the other Separatists pointed at Tonith, who sighed and shook his head. "Guilty as charged, Master Jedi," said the Muun officer. "I am Rear Admiral Pors Tonith of the Confederate Navy. I was in charge of the frigates your invasion fleet destroyed before you landed at Monsoon Mesa. And I know you're not going to kill an unarmed man due to your Code." Tonith then pressed a button on his armrest.

"What did you just do?!" Anakin asked.

"I have summoned reinforcements," answered Tonith. "Surrender, Jedi. You can't cause a wildcat destabilization or anything similar now, so you may as well order your troops to surrender and preserve their lives if you care for them. Your Republic was foolish to invest in trying to save Jabiim, now it is time to cut your losses or lose everything."

"I don't lose," Chad shot back before he drew his sidearm and pistol whipped Tonith, knocking the Admiral unconscious. "Everyone out, now!"

The other Separatists promptly ran for their lives. Chad and Anakin, knowing they would be unable to disable the reactor, decided to slice up the room instead and destroy the central control computer. The twin Jedi hacked and stabbed at all the equipment in the room before they had Odie toss an EMP grenade in just to make sure the CCC was destroyed.

"Ellia, it's Chad!" Chad said into his comlink. "Radio check, over."

"I'm reading you five-by-five, Chad," replied the older Jedi Knight. "The shield is down, I repeat, the shield generator has been destroyed. What's your status, over?"

"The central control computer has been destroyed, repeat, the CCC has been neutralized," Chad reported as they headed to the bridge. "At least we think it has been destroyed, we made a mess of the storage room. Regardless, we require immediate evac and are headed to the bridge of the core ship for extraction. Normally I'd prefer a different location for obvious reasons, but an Admiral Tonith raised the alarm. Additionally, tell Serra to stand by to disengage; I want an orderly retreat, it's less costly than a rout."

"Copy that, General Skywalker," Ellia said. "I'll send a gunship for extraction ASAP, over."

"Roger that."

The battle droids and organic Separatists tried and failed to stop the Republic infiltrators. With most of the droids on Jabiim being upgraded older models, their collective intelligence had dropped a level and even the newer models were now less effective with the destruction of the central control computer and the subsequent loss of coordination. The organic Separatists-mainly consistent of Neimoidians, but there was also a number of Muuns and Quarren and even a handful of Mon Calamari-wore light armor and were not the most well trained or experienced soldiers. Within minutes they had gotten to the bridge, which was sealed off via blast doors. Undeterred, Anakin started to cut open an entrance while Erk and Odie took cover and Chad stood between his brother and the advancing Separatists.

Commander Merai drew his sidearm and fired when Anakin finally got through. Just before the Mon Calamari officer died from a deflected blaster round, he felt as though his only regret was failing to stop the Jedi.

"Lower the shields!" Erk screamed at a terrified Neimoidian technician, who complied and lowered _Dooku's_ particle shields. Once that was done, Anakin smashed all the windows with the Force while Chad got on his comlink and said, "Skywalker to gunship, what's your status? Over."

"Sir, this is Hawk," came the reply. "I'll be there in t-minus thirty seconds, how copy?"

"Copy that, Lieutenant," Chad said. "Tell the boys to stand by to catch some extra passengers."

"Wilco. I'll warn 'em, General Skywalker."

"Wait," questioned Odie as the gunship came into view and opened its doors, "catch, sir?"

"Yup, catch," Chad said casually. "Ladies first, Corporal Subu."

The Skywalker brothers then threw Odie out the window towards the gunship, much to the distress of the Antarian Ranger. Erk was thrown out as well soon after, and to the amusement of the twin Jedi the pilot actually screamed somewhat louder than Odie. Finally Anakin and Chad leaped over.

"Next time," Odie said as the gunship flew off, "just tell us to jump, sirs."

"That wouldn't be fun now, would it?" Anakin joked. "Besides, it actually got you onboard."

"Hawk," Chad ordered, "land as close to the frontlines as you reasonably can. I need to help the withdrawal."

"You got it, sir," the clone pilot obeyed.

Soon the gunship landed. Between the lack of coordination and reduced intelligence on the part of the droids as well as the arrival of Anakin and Chad, the wounded clones and Loyalists were evacuated and an orderly retreat occured. The idiotic would assume the Republic troops were running away, but their strategic objectives had been achieved and it was better to preserve lives than waste them. The Grand Army and their Jabiimi allies left the outskirts of Choal under their own power.

 ***CUT TO: PRESIDENTIAL MANSION, CHOAL, JABIIM***

"Now what are we supposed to do?!" Stratus fumed.

Durge held up a hand. He could actually understand the President of Jabiim's frustration, but the Gen'Dai just didn't want to hear him bitch.

"We publicly remind the Republic and their Loyalists of what we can do," the hulking figure said. "Of the lengths we'll go for victory."

 **ME: A/N: Ahsokafanboy1138 had Patriot-112's OC, Marik Orar, appear in his awesome fanfic _Rains of Jabiim_. However, I couldn't think of a way to put him in this chapter, and I don't exactly feel right about using Marik without getting 112's permission first.**

 **I had Chad compliment Serra's looks because he would say something like that and I'm wondering whether or not to have Serra keep the look. Granted, I already have a couple of short haired action girls.**

 **Though Star Wars is infamous for Hollywood Tactics, there are times when they actually get deconstructed. Case in point, in the Clone Wars film, at one point on Christophsis the clones had the bright idea of charging at the droids (admittedly on Obi-Wan's orders/encouragement, technically) even though they had adequate cover and artillery support. Predictably, they got slaughtered. Hell, Tae here ended up getting shot in the back by an ordinary B1 and a regular, run-of-the-mill Jabiimi Mook. His death has got to be the most embarrassing/anticlimactic of all so far. I wanted to really point out the stupidity of foolish tactics that only work in bad movies.**

 **To paraphrase Ahsokafanboy1138, Elora died literally the exact same way in the comic, so don't think I'm being lazy or anything.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to the American veterans who have volunteered to go fight ISIS. That's courage-going BACK towards the danger.**

 **I hope you guys liked how Anakin and Chad took out the CCC. Sorry for any mistakes, I finished this late at night.**


	28. Calm before the Storm

**ME: Now time to get back to the Battle of Jabiim.**

The Nationalists will not show mercy, so we shall respond in turn so we can survive.

 **(Anonymous Jabiimi Loyalist partisan)**

It was a somber ride back to Shelter Base, for no one felt like celebrating. Both Elora and Tae had died, along with numerous clones and Loyalists. True, their objectives had been accomplished, but it came with a high price.

"We just can't afford to lose troops like this," Chad told Serra as the two walked with Aubrie to meet Ellia. "What the hell happened? Cody says the left flank failed."

"Tae apparently had the bright idea of initiating an infantry charge," Serra said, pissed at the fact that the Republic forces had taken unnecessary losses. "He got shot in the back in the process of doing so, Elora died shortly after, and then morale dropped like an escape pod."

The trio of Jedi entered the command center, where Ellia sat. "Aubrie," she said, "it's good to see that you made it. Serra, thank you for keeping her safe."

"I'd have done it even if you hadn't asked, Master Leska," Serra replied. "Jedi look out for each other."

Chad got down to business. "Ellia," he said, "Serra told me you couldn't send reinforcements because of an attack on Cobalt Station. Please elaborate."

"Cobalt Station, one of our FOBs," Ellia began, "was attacked along with four of its outposts by a large force of droids and Nationalists. We lost three forward positions, and I suspect we would have lost both Cobalt Station and Cobalt Alpha Seven were it not for the destruction of the Separatist CCC. The droids overall became much less effective and lost coordination, enabling the reinforcements to hold their ground. The enemy retreated; no further attacks have been reported."

"At least we have some good news for once," Chad said. "We'll need to hold a meeting to discuss our next move."

"Is there anything I can do for you, Ellia?" Aubrie asked, concerned about her older cousin's well being.

Ellia smiled. "Just stay alive, Aubrie," she said. "There are plenty of clones and Guardsmen who need your help more than I do."

Anakin and the rest of the Padawans, along with Colonel Gillmunn, Commander Cody, and Commander Sixes, filed into the room shortly afterwards.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen," said Chad. "In light of the casualties that resulted from the left flank failing, we will need to be more careful. Under no circumstances are any of you to think of initiating an infantry charge as a good idea."

"Don't worry, Master Skywalker," said Zule. "Unlike Tae, I'm not a complete kriffing idiot."

"Zule!" Vaabesh chided. "That is no way to talk about a dead Padawan!"

"We lost valuable men and women, clone and Guard alike," Anakin retorted, "thanks to Tae not understanding basic tactics. As a result, our battle to rid this planet of Stratus, that psychotic bitch and her giant buddy, and their minions just got a lot harder."

"That assumes we remain on Jabiim," Vaabesh said. "In light of the chaos the Nationalists and their allies are likely experiencing, we have a good opportunity to retreat and avoid further loss of life on both sides."

"WHAT?!" yelled Gillmunn, the Jabiimi Colonel finally snapping from the stress of leading the remnants of the Guard.

"I concur, Colonel," agreed Serra. "Vaabesh, no offense but that's a really stupid idea. Even if, hypothetically, we could evacuate everyone, including the civilian Loyalists, we can't afford to let the Seps win. If they do, they will be able to build enough droids to turn the tide of the war in their favor. At best, losing Jabiim will lead to the war dragging on. So we will need to retake this planet by any means necessary in order to minimize future casualties."

Vaabesh shook his head. "This is not the Jedi way," he said. "We can save lives _now_. Master Skywalker, we need to retreat now before more people die!"

"This is war, Vaabesh," Chad replied. "We all have to deal with it."

 ***CUT TO: NATIONALIST BASE, RAZOR COAST, JABIIM***

Captain Cavik Toth frowned as he met with the Jabiimi Nationalist leader, President Alto Stratus, and his two Confederate advisors.

"This planet better be worth it, Mr. President," he said. "My frigates and destroyers are currently engaging the Republic blockade as we speak in an effort to distract the enemy and will at best be forced to retreat, if not outright destroyed. And you and your advisors do not know how dangerous it is to exit hyperspace in-atmosphere."

"Actually, I do know," said the giant advisor, Commander Durge. "I've done it myself a couple of times."

His XO, a Twi'lek named Bella, rolled her eyes. "If what you claim is true," she said, "then my superior and I await some gratitude for what we have done for this campaign."

Stratus shook his head. "Never mind your losses, Captain Toth!" he said. "Jabiim has a heart of ore! My home is worth the effort to liberate it! And now it is time to make a demonstration to the Republican tyrants of what will happen to those who oppose my people on our quest to true freedom!"

Durge nodded, annoyed at Bella but not enough to kill her and cause trouble for himself. "Whatever floats your speeder, Stratus," he flippantly replied.

 ***CUT TO: COMMUNICATIONS ROOM, SHELTER BASE, MONSOON MESA, JABIIM***

"General Skywalker," Admiral Dao said, "Separatist reinforcements have entered the system."

Chad, alarmed, asked, "Any transports among them, Admiral Dao?"

"None at all, sir," replied the naval officer. "Just capital ships and starfighters, we are engaging. I doubt they'll be able to break through, but until further notice the fleet will be unable to provide orbital support."

"Understood, Admiral," Chad acknowledged. "I'm sending you the coordinates of a core ship on the planet. Its CCC has been neutralized, but it can still serve as a commander center and provide triple-A, so take it out if you get the chance."

"As you wish, sir. Dao out."

Captain Fordo ran into the room. "Sir! Sir!"

"Yes, Captain Fordo?" questioned Chad.

"Stratus just released a video. They executed a captured pilot."

Chad's eyes narrowed as Fordo offered a datapad, which he took. The young General simply tapped the screen and the video began to play.

"Greetings, people of Jabiim!" Stratus shouted as a man dressed in an orange jumpsuit was shoved to his knees by a pair of burly Nationalists. "This cowardly Republic dog, who has identified himself as Ensign Pleth Strom, was on his way to bomb women and children when he was shot down and captured by Jabiimi courageous enough to fight against the tyranny of the Jedi and their forces! Now he will pay for his crimes!"

"No, please!" Strom pleaded, Chad horrified at knowing the pilot had been executed on false pretenses. "I have a wife, she's pregnant-."

"Silence, tyrant!" yelled Stratus as he shot the pilot in the leg. Strom screamed in pain. "For your crimes against Jabiim, I sentence you to death!"

A Nationalist soldier armed with a flamethrower came into view and set Strom on fire, causing his screams to intensify.

In spite of how revolting the video was, Chad forced himself to finish watching it. When he was done, he called up another meeting and displayed the video.

"THAT PIECE OF SHIT!" snarled Anakin, enraged at the brutal murder of a prisoner of war.

Serra nodded, her fists clenched in anger. "Stratus has to pay for what he's done," she agreed. "This is unforgivable."

"Vengeance is not the-," Tohno began.

"Kriff the Code, Tohno!" Zule cut her off. "This bastard isn't gonna stop until we take his karking head off and put it on a pike!"

"Colonel," Chad ordered, "I want every prisoner we have that wasn't wearing a uniform or some kind of visible insignia here five minutes ago. Cody, Sixes, assemble the troops. It's time for me to make a speech."

Chad's three subordinates complied to the best of their abilities. Within the hour Chad was standing on a platform, a few dozen Jabiimi Nationalists who had been captured while in civilian clothes behind him.

"Inhabitants of Jabiim," he stated, "this is Jedi General Chad Skywalker. In case you people have forgotten, this planet operates under the same rules as the rest of the Republic. Alto Stratus is not the law; I am the law."

"Stratus is twice the man you are, boy!" sneered a female prisoner before being rifle butted by Alpha.

"Alto Stratus is nothing but a criminal," Chad continued. "He is guilty of both multiple counts of murder and treason. As such, I convened a court-martial and convicted him _in absentia_ of, among other crimes, the murder of ten POWs. Stratus's sentence is death."

The assembled troops, a mix of clones and Guardsmen, looked at each other in astonishment before turning their attention back to Chad. Would a Jedi really sentence a man to death, even one as horrible as Stratus?

"Any who willfully obstruct my subordinates and I in carrying out our duties will be treated as an accessory to his crimes and treated accordingly," said Chad. "You have all been warned for the last time. What follows is an example of what happens to the likes of Stratus."

Chad then suddenly activated his lightsaber and threw it, decapitating the prisoners one-by-one. None of them escaped.

"Some would call me a hypocrite in light of what Stratus has been convicted for," Chad said. "However, these prisoners all dressed in civilian clothing without any form of insignia identifying themselves as combatants and thus were not eligible for treatment as prisoners of war. As for you, Stratus-you murdered my pilot, and that's just one of your crimes. Don't be surprised that I executed a bunch of your cowardly thugs. This is just a prelude of what will happen to you and your minions. Skywalker out."

Vaabesh: "Master Skywalker, how could you?!"

Chad shook his head. "Dammit, Vaabesh!" he yelled. "What I just did was entirely legal!"

"If you execute people, you will be just like Stratus-."

Chad looked the Gand in the eye as best as he could in spite of the lenses of Vaabesh's mask and the visor of Chad's helmet. "Did you seriously just compare me to some psychotic murderer?"

"I'm sure he didn't mean to, Master Skywalker," Tohno said.

Vaabesh, remarkably enough, didn't wither under Chad's gaze. "I am worried about the possibility of you falling to the dark side!" he said. "Such actions-."

"-unless you got something useful to say, Vaabesh," Chad cut him off, rather bluntly so, "keep your damn mouth shut and do your job."

"Chad," Ellia contacted him via his helmet comlink, "Lieutenant Orar and his unit have returned from scouting Razor Coast."

"Copy that, Ellia," he replied. "Thanks, I'll bring the others."

Chad then turned back to Vaabesh. "Come on, _Commander_ ," he said coolly. "I don't know about you, but I have to save a planet."

First Lieutenant Marik Orar, a Mandalorian whose parents had been hired to train clone troopers on Kamino and had been commissioned as an officer both due to a need for more officers and his experience with clones, was waiting with his subordinates, Star Squad, in the communications room. "Good to meet you, General Skywalker," the Mandalorian said, saluting him.

Chad returned the salute and shook Marik's hand, removing his helmet with his left hand so he could look the Lieutenant in the eye. "It is good to meet you as well, Lieutenant Orar," replied the Jedi Knight. "I'm glad to see you and Star Squad are back in one piece, I don't like losing men and women."

"Glad to hear that, sir," said Marik. The Mandalorian was an intimidating figure, dressed in black armor with a red visor. Chad, curious about Mandalorians after encountering the two mercenaries Dooku had hired on Geonosis, had learned that black was associated with justice and red with honoring one's parents. Marik had light blond hair and blue eyes, and was about as tall as Anakin and Chad. His face had been scarred in a recent bar fight, though Marik had successfully killed his opponent in retaliation. "Sarge, show the good man what we found."

"Right away, Lieutenant," said a gruff clone commando dressed in red armor. Sarge hooked up his datapad to the holotank and cleared his throat. "Sirs and ma'ams, ships came out of hyperspace just above Razor Coast."

"Wait, that's impossible," Mak protested. "Wouldn't the hyperdrives' safety overrides kick in?"

"They must have been disabled," Kass pointed out. "Continue, Sergeant."

"Half of the ships were unremarkable," Sarge said. "The other half..."

The Sergeant tapped at his datapad, displaying a Hex Deployer.

"Sabaoth Squadron," Anakin said, recognizing the model. "These assholes are mercenaries, looks like the Seps hired them to do their dirty work."

"I hear they were involved in WMD development," added Aubrie. "Lieutenant Orar, did you identify anyone at the base?"

"Besides Stratus and his two equally sociopathic lackeys who attacked Cobalt Alpha Seven?" said Marik. "We were able to identify the leader of Sabaoth Squadron, Captain Toth, and his second-in-command, Commander Bella."

"I'm going to go ahead and say the obvious," stated Chad. "Evidently the Seps are planning to launch a chemical attack, so ready the troops. It's time to put an end to this shit."

"Master Skywalker," questioned Warble, "isn't it unwise to attack the enemy at such a stronghold?"

"Without weakening them first, yes," Chad answered. "Which is why this will need to be planned carefully. No battle plan survives first contact, but failing to plan is planning to fail. We can do this, everyone."

 **ME: I dedicate this chapter to Captain (promoted posthumously) Muath Al-Kasasbeh, the Jordanian fighter pilot who was burned to death by ISIS. Rest in peace, Captain. You've earned your spot in heaven.**

 **Marik Orar is an OC of Patriot-112 (who was nice enough to grant me permission to use Marik, and I think his permission extends to Ahsokafanboy1138 as well), Star Team (or, in this adaptation, Star Squad) was created by Ahsokafanboy1138.**

 **Guys, I've been wondering-do you think Ellia could get surgery or something so she could walk again? Of course, such a procedure would likely be unavailable while she was on Jabiim for obvious reasons.**

 **I'm actually considering the Guard handle rear guard duties since they wouldn't be well protected from chemical weapons. Of course, Jedi wearing gas masks wouldn't be well protected either.**

 **I sincerely hope you guys liked this update. I finished this late at night, so apologies for any mistakes.**


	29. Storm on Jabiim

**ME: Time for Chad and his fellow officers to finish what Stratus and his Nationalists started.**

If you think me and my pirates are bad, General Skywalker, you will really hate Captain Toth and Commander Bella. Those two enjoyed testing trihexalon on civilians far too much for them to be simply greedy and apathetic to the consequences of their actions. Do not underestimate them.

 **(Captain Nym, leader of the Lok Revenants, speaking to Jedi General Chad Skywalker)**

After conferring with Master Adi Gallia of the Jedi Council and a pardoned pirate who had worked with her, a Feeorin named Nym, Chad and the others were able to establish a plan.

"Alright," began Chad. "The base at Razor Coast has extensive defenses, ranging from turbolasers to triple-A. However, all of the stationary energy weapons are powered by a single fusion reactor that sends the necessary power via microwave transmitters. As a result, a small team will be able to infiltrate the base and neutralize the reactor, allowing our ground forces to advance. Our primary objective will be to neutralize the WMD threat, but Alto Stratus, that Gen'Dai Durge, and that Rattataki Dark Jedi named Ventress are to be considered as targets of opportunity. Capture them if you can, but under no circumstances are they to escape alive. So before anyone asks, yes, the use of lethal force to prevent any Separatist leaders, civilian or military, from escaping has been authorized."

"If you feel that is best, Master Skywalker," said Tohno in a respectful tone of voice. She disliked Chad's decision to execute the Nationalist insurgents who had been captured while not wearing uniforms or visible insignia, but like Warble the female Padawan had decided to mind her tongue, knowing Vaabesh had been vocal in his discomfort with the young Jedi Knight's style and had only been scorned for it.

"Thank you, Tohno," Chad said. "Zule, Marik, take Star Squad and neutralize the reactor. Destroy the magnetic containment field, disable the cooling systems, I don't care how, just do it. Just remember that you need to do it quietly or risk alerting the enemy too soon. Colonel Gillmunn, you and your Guardsmen are on rear guard duty. We need to protect Cobalt Station and its outposts, and since your troops don't have access to proper CBRN protection they'll be more vulnerable to nerve gas. Anakin, get in _Azure Angel_ and be ready to engage the moment Zule and her unit blows the reactor; we need to take out those Hex Deployers before they can take off. Serra, you and the rest of the Padawans as well as Commanders Cody and Sixes will be responsible for leading the main attack. I will go behind enemy lines with Alpha and Fordo and put the fear of the Force into the Seps and their Nationalist collaborators."

"You sure you don't want to lead the ground battle, Master Skywalker?" Warble asked. "We could use a warrior like you at the front."

"I know," replied Chad. "But the stakes are high, Warble. If I can do anything to prevent those Deployers from dropping WMDs on civilians, I will do it. Just focus on taking out Stratus's droids and lackeys."

"You can count on me, Chad," Anakin said, grateful to have an opportunity to use his skills as a pilot. "I won't let you down, those Hex Deployers aren't going to be able to take off."

"Glad to hear that," Chad responded. "Serra, you think you and the others will be fine on your own?"

"Affirmative," she said. "We can kick plenty of ass on our own, Chad, but you said it yourself-someone needs to be on the ground and doing whatever it takes to keep those Deployers from taking off and gassing innocent people."

"All right, the. Get your suits on, everyone, and ready the troops for immediate deployment," the young Jedi Knight ordered. "I-."

"-sorry to interrupt, Chad," Ellia cut him off, "but I'm receiving a transmission from Admiral Dao."

The senior Republic Navy officer's holographic form was displayed shortly after. "General Skywalker, sir," Dao said, "the enemy reinforcements have been destroyed. I have both good news and bad news; the bad news is that we've taken losses. The good news is that four prototype walkers are being delivered to Shelter Base as we speak. The Supreme Chancellor sends his regrets, for he was unable to spare any additional reinforcements."

"Understood, Admiral," Chad said. "Thank you for the update, sorry about your losses. I will make sure the sacrifices of your fellow sailors were not made in vain. Skywalker out."

Chad promptly dismissed his subordinates, and all prepared for battle. All of the Padawans save Anakin put on their vacuum suits and helmets to protect themselves from the Separatist WMD. It would have been better for them to be wearing armor like Chad, but there was no time to make customized suits for each of them (particularly Kass and Warble, whose physiques made it more difficult to wear armor designed for Humans). Chad checked to make sure that his helmet would maintain a secure link with the rest of JSAF before putting it on.

"Make sure your seals and your filters are fully operational, troopers," Cody ordered. "Check your suits as well, even a microscopic tear can and will prove fatal if they hit us with gas."

"Don't forget to stock up on supplies as well," Sixes added. "I predict that this fight will be a long and hard one, gentlemen. Bring as much ammo, water, first aid kits, and rations as you can. Things won't be easy, but nothing worth doing is easy. We will not let the Separatists and their Nationalist cohorts take this world and kill more of our brothers with the ore of this world. Instead, we will use every last particle bolt to take these bastards out. Am I right, troopers?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" the clones replied.

"Banthashit, I can't hear you!" responded Sixes. "Sound off like you got a purpose!"

"SIR, YES, SIR!"

"Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Two _Gozanti_ -class cruisers flew in, each carrying a pair of prototype walkers. The machines were massive, each a heavily armored, heavily armed four-legged giant.

A Republic Army officer in charge of the four walkers contacted Chad, who was staring at the impressive sight. "Lieutenant Mohc to General Skywalker, come in," he said. "Do you copy, sir?"

"I copy, Lieutenant," Chad responded. "Damn, your unit is a sight for sore eyes."

"Glad to be of service, General. You need only give the order and I will unleash fire and destruction upon all enemies of the Republic."

Chad smiled under his helmet. "I am grateful for that, General."

 ***CUT TO: NATIONALIST BASE, RAZOR COAST, JABIIM***

"Why haven't you people dropped nerve gas on the Loyalist population centers yet?!" Stratus loudly complained. "It's not as if they're going anywhere!"

Tonith resisted the urge to pull out his pistol and kill the annoying rabble rouser, for he was still more useful alive. "Mr. President," he said, "the civilian Loyalists are no real threat to our forces. It is crucial that we use the Hex Deployers on the clone and Loyalist troops in order to wipe out the one factor preventing us from establishing mines on Jabiim."

"And we will need to draw the Jedi and their slave soldiers into a trap to maximize the effectiveness of the gas attacks," Ventress added. "Our droids will be completely undamaged, President Stratus, and the Nimbus Commandos have helmets equipped with filters, but the regular Nationalist infantry will be vulnerable."

Stratus waved his hand. "We of Jabiim have already lost so much thanks to the Republic and its Jedi," he said. "My soldiers have volunteered to put their lives on the line, unlike all the civilians that have died thanks to Jedi neglect."

 ***CUT TO: OUTSKIRTS OF NATIONALIST BASE AT RAZOR COAST, JABIIM***

"We're here," Marik said when he, Star Squad, Zule, the ARC troopers, and Chad stopped when they reached a mountain at Razor Coast.

"How are we supposed to get inside the perimeter?" Zule asked, having not accompanied the Mandalorian Lieutenant and his surrogate brothers on their scouting mission.

"Look, Commander Xiss," said Lance Corporal Griff as he pointed at a river. "This goes under the mountain, ma'am. We should be able to infiltrate the base undetected this way."

Marik looked over a map of the base in his HUD and concluded that Griff's idea would be the best way to slip past the perimeter undetected. "I concur with Griff, General Skywalker. I don't have a better option."

"Beggers can't be choosers," Chad said with a nod before opening a channel to Ellia. "Skywalker to Leska, gimme a sitrep."

"All units are in position, General Skywalker," Ellia replied. "Ready to engage on your order."

"Understood, tell the troops to keep standing by. Skywalker out," said Chad, terminating the link. "Time to go swimming, lady and gentlemen."

The nine promptly entered the river. Since their suits were all sealed, no one was at risk of drowning. Once they had gotten inside the perimeter of the Nationalist Base, the Republic infiltrators split into two groups in order to accomplish their objectives.

Chad, Fordo, and Alpha seeked out a building where the three could spot and fire upon the pilots of the Hex Deployers should they try and rush to their ships. The trio tried to kill as few Nationalist sentries as they could purely out of pragmatism-corpses were hard to hide, after all, and all it would take was one warning via comlink to alert their enemies.

"Hey," a Nationalist sniper asked her spotter.

"Yeah?" said the spotter, a short and stocky man.

"You ever wonder why we're-."

Chad grabbed the spotter's jaw with his right hand and twisted, snapping his neck. The sniper was even more unlucky, for Alpha covered her mouth, forced the Nationalist sharpshooter to her knees, stabbed the Separatist in the side of the neck, then pulled his vibroblade (deactivated to avoid making noise) out through the front of her neck.

"This looks like a good spot, boys," Chad said as he grabbed the rifle the Nationalist sniper had been using. "Let's make sure anyone dumb enough to try and takeoff in a Hex Deployer gets shot."

Meanwhile Zule, Marik, and Star Squad sneaked their way to the fusion reactor. Marik and the clones stabbed anyone they had to kill, while Zule enhanced her strength with the Force in order to snap the necks of a few hapless Nationalist guards.

One of the Jabiimi Separatists, however, didn't die instantly. "Help me," he pleaded weakly.

Zule knew the man would die anyway but the Falleen Padawan still couldn't afford to alert the rest of the base, so she simply covered his mouth with her right hand before seizing his neck with her left and crushing his windpipe. The Nationalist gurgled as he took his last breaths.

Soon afterward, they had finally reached the building housing the reactor. On top of said building was the microwave transmitters.

"This is it, ma'am and sir," said the Corporal who served as the second-in-command of Star Squad as he sliced into the door controls.

The door opened, revealing a mildly overweight Nationalist technician. He made the mistake of going for his holstered sidearm, prompting Griff to shoot him once in the chest and once in the head with his suppressed pistol. The five soldiers and one Jedi Commander moved deeper into the facility, discretely eliminating any Nationalist they encountered. Finally the group reached the reactor chamber. Marik and Sarge tossed flashbangs in, stunning the Nationalists inside. The six then rushed in. Zule stabbed and cut down any guard she saw, while Marik and Star Squad shot the rest of the bluecoats. One of the technicians foolishly tried to shoot Zule in the back by picking up a dropped rifle, but Marik saw him and put a round through his skull.

"I got your back, Commander," the Mandalorian Lieutenant said just before the corpse fell to the floor.

"Figuratively?" Zule asked in a teasing tone. "Or did you memorize the details of my back?"

Marik blushed behind the cover of his helmet. "Well, uh," he stammered.

Griff coughed. "Hate to break up your little date, _ner vod_ ," the Lance Corporal said, "but we have a reactor to neutralize."

"Right," said Marik, ignoring Sarge as he scolded Griff for "interfering with the personal business of officers." "You!" the young Mandalorian warrior shouted at a cowering female technician. "Where are the cooling systems?"

"Please don't hurt me, I can't hear you!" the woman said.

"How-." Marik groaned in annoyance after remembering that he and the rest of the Republicans had shut off their helmet speakers beforehand for stealth purposes. "Okay," Marik said as he pointed his sidearm at the female Nationalist's face, "can you hear me now?"

"Yes," she whimpered, not that any of her male colleagues were doing any better.

"Where are the cooling systems?" asked Marik. "Tell us, and we might let you guys live."

The technician eagerly complied and pointed them out to Star Squad, who began to set the charges. "If you're lying," Marik warned, "I'll break the other one."

"What other-," said the female technician just before Marik broke her arm, prompting her to scream in pain.

"I like your style, Marik," Zule complimented before she turned to one of the male technicians. "You, where are the power conduits?!"

"The power conduits, Master Jedi, ma'am?" the man asked.

Zule snorted and rolled her eyes. "Don't call me _ma'am_ , asshole, I work for a living. I know the electricity this reactor generates has to be sent to transmitters, now tell me where the power conduits that link this reactor to said transmitters are!"

"I can't talk!" the Jabiimi Separatist said. "If I tell you, Stratus will kill me!"

Zule punched him in the groin with her cybernetic left arm. As the Nationalist technician fell to his knees and groaned in pain, the young Falleen Jedi Commander grabbed him by his hair and looked into his eyes.

"Stratus isn't here, dumbass," Zule threatened. "I, on the other hand, am. If you don't tell me what I want to know in ten seconds, I will rip off your balls, cauterize the wound, then ask again. One..."

"There! There!" the technician pointed. "Just please let me live!"

"You better not be lying," she responded before shoving the Nationalist back towards his comrades. The aggressive and violent Padawan then opened up a channel to Master Leska. "General Leska," said Zule, "it's Zule. Is this frequency secure, over?"

"Affirmative, Commander," the Jedi Knight replied. "Send traffic, over."

"Charges are in place, Master Leska. We're ready to blow the reactor, is everyone ready?"

"Yes, all units are in position," said Leska. "General Skywalker just told me that you are to detonate the charges at your discretion, do you copy?"

"Copy that, Master. Stand by," Zule said before asking Marik for the detonator. When she had received it, the Padawan asked Leska, "Are you sure the troops are ready?"

"Affirmative, we're ready," Leska confirmed.

"Understood." Zule ignited her lightsaber, ready to throw it in order to cut the power conduits. "Detonating in three, two, one...now!"

 ***CUT TO: _AZURE ANGEL_ ***

"All units, attack! I say again, begin the attack immediately!"

Anakin did not respond to Leska's orders verbally. Instead, he moved _Azure Angel_ into range of the base and targeted the Hex Deployers.

The assault transports were still on the ground, so Anakin didn't have a problem blowing the Deployers up. The young Padawan could see pilots trying to rush to their ships, only for a sniper to open fire.

 _That must be Chad. Good shooting, brother,_ Anakin thought. _Keep it up and this nerve gas will never touch a single civilian._

 ***CUT TO: COMMAND CENTER, NATIONALIST BASE, RAZOR COAST, JABIIM***

"Activate all our droids!" Tonith snapped at the hapless Confederate technicians. "Send all available units into battle!"

"How were these Republicans able to infiltrate the base?!" yelled Stratus.

Durge shook his head. "Knowing your men," the two-thousand-year-old Gen'Dai said, "probably during lunch break."

Ventress recognized a presence in the Force from the Confederacy's first attack on one of the Republic's forward positions. It was one of those meddling Jedi. _Where were you bastards when Ky Narec was dying on Rattatak?_

"A Jedi is one of the infiltrators," she said. The Dark Jedi assassin thought she sensed another one, but the first one was both definite and a bigger threat. "I will go deal with him personally. Do as you will, Durge."

"Got it," the giant replied. "Have fun."

"Commander Bella."

The Twi'lek officer looked up from the holomap showing the battle's progress. "Yes, Commander Ventress?"

"I have a Z-Ninety-Five Headhunter available for your use since I will be dealing with the Jedi," the bald woman said as she tossed over the key. "Don't scratch it."

 ***CUT TO: BUILDING, NATIONALIST BASE, RAZOR COAST, JABIIM***

"Die, you scumbags!" Chad hissed as he shot a Nimbus Commando in the chest. "Die!"

Both Fordo and Alpha guarded the General's rear as he sniped. With the Hex Deployers removed from the equation, Chad had taken to sniping other Separatists, sowing fear within the ranks of their enemies. No artillery was available to deal with the Jedi Knight and his two loyal ARC troopers, for the ground assault had been launched by Chad's subordiantes, forcing the Separatists to divide and prioiritze their resources.

"Sir, we have an incoming hostile!" Fordo yelled as he fired his twin pistols.

"What else is new?" replied Chad, shooting a B2 super battle droid commander twice in the head.

Alpha: "She's got two red lightsabers and is bald. Did we mention that she looks pissed?"

Chad sighed as he turned to deal with the new threat. He recognized Ventress in the Force before he set eyes on her.

"Come, Jedi," the Dark Jedi said as she landed on the rooftop. Neither of the ARCs fired, knowing their rounds would just be deflected. "Your fall will advance the cause of the Confederacy and the destruction of your corrupt and arrogant order."

 **ME: A/N: I dedicate this chapter to Mr. Lyn, a neighbor of mine who passed away recently. I didn't know him well, but he was a good man. May he rest in peace.**

 **I intended to finish off the Battle of Jabiim in this chapter, but I was pressed for time. I hope you guys liked this-tell me anything you liked in your reviews, I like looking at them and knowing what my fans think. How can I improve if I don't know what you guys liked or disliked about this chapter?**

 **I admit, I was inspired by Ahsokafanboy1138's _Rains of Jabiim_ when writing this chapter.**

 **I named the Nationalist Mooks "bluecoats" as a reference to their blue outfits and the British redcoats (somewhat ironically since the Nationalists are the ones rebelling here).**

 **I included the AT-ATs both due to them being in the original comic and their psychological effect.**

 **I orginally planned to have Bella borrow a Ginivex (that fighter Ventress used in the micro series), but realistically she'd have zero experience, so it didn't make sense. A Z-95, on the other hand, she might be able to use.**

 **I wonder if Serra should get a Padawan or not take one at all. Granted, I already have a large cast to some extent.**

 **I mentioned Kass and Warble not being able to fit clone armor because a Zabrak's horns and an Aqualish's tusks, respectively, would probably get in the way. Plus clone armor was designed for an army of...wait for it...identical clones who didn't differ in height, so even for Padawans like Mak and Zule (the latter of whom is a Falleen and thus probably could wear sealed suits designed for Humans) they'd probably need to modify the suits.**

 **Considering how Ahsoka had a spacesuit in Cargo of Doom (even though they likely didn't plan to board via AT-TEs), I figured Jedi would keep such suits around. True, Jedi can hold their breath, but toxins can also get in through the eyes and skin. People have been blinded by chemical weapons in real life, and MOPP suits exist for a reason.**

 **The microwave transmitters are based off of real life proposals for space-based solar power (which would have satellites send electricity to Earth-based receivers).** **Chad misidentified Ventress as a Rattataki both as a reference to her original species and the in-universe likelihood-I mean, come on. Ventress is a bald, incredibly pale** **Near-Human from Rattatak, as Ahsokafanboy1138 pointed out. Compared to Vizsla charging at Maul with his lightsaber instead of just shooting him (after Vizsla had disarmed Maul by shooting his lightsaber out of his hand, so he could've easily shot Maul twice in the chest and followed it up with a headshot; granted, Savage likely would have gone berserk, but still), it can't be that stupid.**


	30. Battle for Razor Coast

**ME: Now time for the Battle for Razor Coast to conclude.**

There is a psychological factor to the height of the AT-AT. When Separatist organic troops will see such a magnificent war machine, they will be too terrified to react in a rational manner.

 **(Kuat Drive Yards engineer on the design of the All Terrain Armored Transport)**

"You're gonna pay for all the suffering you've brought to this world!" Chad shouted as he ignited his lightsaber and charged at Ventress.

"Sir..." Fordo asked.

Chad: "Go! I got this!"

The Jedi Knight and the Dark Jedi assassin engaged in combat, blue and red blades clashing against each other. Eventually Ventress was able to land a hit on Chad's armored right shoulder, causing the young Jedi to grunt in pain. Ventress then knocked his lightsaber out of Chad's hands and tried to decapitate him, only for Chad to grab her wrists and stop Ventress. Using the Force to enhance his strength, Chad then forced Ventress to kneel before kneeing the Rattataki woman in the gut and breaking one of her ribs. Ventress screamed in pain before Chad threw her off the building. Luckily for the Dark Jedi she survived the fall, but Ventress decided to retreat rather than face Chad in her current condition.

 ***CUT TO: CIS Z-95 HEADHUNTER***

Bella lined up the Judicial Headhunter in her sights and opened fire, destroying the Republic fighter.

 _Pathetic,_ the second-in-command of Sabaoth Squadron thought. _Is this really the best that the Republic can do?_

The Twi'lek officer then targeted a V-19 Torrent trying to flee from a pair of pursuing Vulture droids and fired. She was able to penetrate the fighter's shields and hit the cockpit, undoubtedly vaporizing the clone pilot.

Suddenly the two Vulture droids were destroyed, and Bella looked up just in time to see a Delta-7 interceptor fire blue particle bolts at her.

 ***CUT TO: PERIMETER OF NATIONALIST BASE, RAZOR COAST***

"Forward!" Serra ordered. "Let 'em have it!"

The Jar'Kai specialist, Tohno, and Aubrie were all at the tip of the spear along with the AT-AT platoon. Serra had left the left flank to Warble, Vaabesh, and Cody (she didn't want the bleeding heart Gand to waste time arguing with her and get someone killed, but she figured Warble could work with him well enough and Cody could handle advising the two) and the right flank to Kass, Mak, and Sixes.

The AT-ATs were a game changer. Not only were they heavily armed and well armored, but the mechanical monsters put the fear of the Force into the hearts of the Nationalists. Some of the bluecoats actually fled, while others stayed only to be demoralized not only by the height and stomps of the giant walkers but also the fact their weapons couldn't even scratch the paintjobs. As a result, the forward Separatist defenses were defeated.

Meanwhile Vaabesh, Warble, and Cody fought to secure the left flank. Cody gunned down any Nationalist or droid he saw with zero remorse, for the clone officer was raised from birth to kill and none of his targets were noncombatants, so he had no reason to feel guilty. Warble was somewhat less cavalier with the lives of his enemies but understood it would be impossible to neutralize the Separatist threat on Jabiim peacefully even if he wasn't happy about it. Vaabesh, in contrast, desperately tried to avoid killing any of the Nationalists but any deflected blaster bolts or lightsaber wounds courtesy of the Gand Padawan more often than not proved fatal or at least debilitating.

"Commander Cody to Shelter Control, encountering stiff resistance from the left flank!" said the Commander. "Requesting air support, over."

"Understood, Commander," said a comms officer. "Diverting Torrents, over."

A pair of V-19s flew in shortly after, firing missiles and strafing the Separatists. More than a few tanks were blown up, only for a SAM to shoot down one of the Torrents.

"Commander Nend to Control, the Separatists have SAMs!" Warble yelled. "Repeat, warn air support that the enemy still has anti-air defenses!"

"Acknowledged, sir," came the reply. "If you see any Separatist with a SAM launcher, Commander, we'd really appreciate it if you kill him before he can fire. Over."

Suddenly Durge joined the fray. A few clones shot him, but the Gen'Dai brute proved too durable and he promptly killed them all.

"Control, this is Cody!" yelled the senior clone officer. "We've just been engaged by Durge, I say again, the Gen'Dai Durge is attacking the left flank!"

Vaabesh ran in an effort to stop Durge and cut off his right hand. However, the giant laughed, formed a tentacle hand in place of his severed one, and grabbed the young Gand by the neck before drawing a vibroblade and stabbing him in the gut.

"NOOO!" Warble yelled as his friend gasped in pain. The Aqualish Padawan charged and stabbed his lightsaber into Durge's head, the plasma destroying his right eye. However, the Separatist giant simply grunted in annoyance and hit Warble in the head with a bola. As the young Jedi fell on his back, moaning in pain, Durge took advantage of his opponent being stunned, grabbed Warble's jaw, and snapped his neck.

Alpha and Fordo stared down the Gen'Dai, having fought their way past multiple Separatists. "We're fucked," Alpha said as he reloaded his rifle.

Fordo aimed his dual sidearms. "Not yet."

Durge laughed as he drew his twin pistols. "Why don't I be sporting and let you two clones shoot first?" he taunted the ARC troopers. "Your template, Jango Fett, was lucky I was taking a nap. Guess you two will have to suff-."

Vaabesh, knowing he would soon die, used the last of his strength and jumped on Durge's back. The Gen'Dai was able to detect the sneak attack, but Durge had dismissed him as a threat and thus did not react quickly enough.

"You little-!" Durge snarled in surprise as he tried to get the young Gand off

"GO!" Vaabesh yelled before he detonated the thermal detonator the Jedi Commander carried in his hand. Luckily enough, both Fordo and Alpha had understood their superior's intentions and fled in time.

 ***CUT TO: _AZURE ANGEL_ ***

Anakin struggled to maintain control after a missile slammed into the back of _Azure Angel_ , disabling one of the engines.

"Control to General Skywalker, over," said a voice.

"Little busy right now, Control," the Padawan replied.

"Sir, Commander Cody reported that Target Durge is engaging the left flank. I repeat, Durge is attacking our left flank. Do you read, over?"

Anakin suddenly got an idea. "Copy that, Control," he said. "Gimme directions, over."

The controller directed him to the left flank and Anakin changed course just as he felt Warble's death in the Force. Though angered and saddened at the death of his friend and fellow Padawan, Anakin was able to sense Vaabesh's weakening presence in the Force before an explosion snuffed him out.

"NO!" he shouted. "FORCEDAMMIT!"

Looking to the scene of the explosion, Anakin saw the giant Separatist known as Durge. Knowing his fighter was damaged already, he set _Angel_ on a collision course with Durge before jumping out.

The Delta-7 slammed into Durge. However, as Anakin raced to the scene, the Gen'Dai got back up, exposed as a mass of tendrils now that his armor had been largely destroyed. Roaring fiercely, Durge then charged straight at Anakin.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" complained Anakin just before the Separatist commander grabbed the Padawan and absorbed him into his body.

"Well, _fierfek_ ," Alpha muttered as he loaded the grenade launcher attached to his rifle. "Didn't see that coming."

Fordo didn't comment. Instead, the ARC Captain fired a taser from his gauntlet and electrocuted Durge. This only succeeded in agitating the Gen'Dai, who knocked down Fordo and smashed his way through to the special forces officer.

"I'm gonna kill you slowly and painfully, clone!" hissed Durge. However, Durge's body started to puff up. Fluids then leaked before Durge practically exploded. Anakin began to catch his breath, disgusted and horrified by the experience.

"You alright, sir?" Alpha asked as he helped Fordo to his feet. "How the hell did you survive that?"

Anakin shook his head. "I honestly could care less right now. My first priorities are to end this battle and take a shower."

 ***CUT TO: INTERIOR OF NATIONALIST BASE, RAZOR COAST, JABIIM***

"Skywalker to Control, be advised," Chad said via his helmet's comlink. "Ventress has been injured but remains dangerous and is at large, say again, Target Ventress is still an active threat. Over."

The young Jedi Knight then cut his way through multiple battle droids and Nationalist soldiers, the latter of which consisted of both regular infantry and Nimbus Commandos. Along the way, he ran into Zule, Marik, and Star Squad.

"Glad to see you guys are still alive!" Chad yelled as he deflected a blaster bolt into the throat of a Nationalist grunt. Chad then used the Force to send the grenade the Jabiimi Separatist tried to throw towards a group of Nimbus Commandos, killing them.

"Likewise, Master Skywalker!" Zule replied, impressed by his skills.

"What's the plan, sir?" Griff said as he whacked a droid with the stock of his rifle.

"We head for the command center and shut these clankers down," answered Chad.

Marik raised an eyebrow under his helmet. "You're wounded, sir," he pointed out.

"Yeah, that's why I'm not trying to find Ventress," the Jedi General responded. "Now let's go!"

The six Republicans fought their way through the Separatist ranks, eventually reaching the command center. It was an underground bunker, durable enough to withstand the GAR's artillery. However, the bunker's door was not invulnerable to the plasma blade of a lightsaber, enabling Zule to cut a hole into it. The impromptu team proceeded deeper into the bunker, encountered a squad of B1s.

"Blast-," the Sergeant in charge said before he was slammed into the wall via a Force push from both Zule and Chad. However, their enemy had been alerted, prompting alarms to blare. After fighting off multiple guards, the six warriors finally reached the nerve center of the bunker.

"Die, Republic dogs!" screamed a particularly devout follower of Stratus, the Nationalist Secretary of Defense, a fanatical xenophobe named Spencer Smoloko, as he fired at the Republicans. Chad simply blocked his shots before Marik gunned down Smoloko.

"Shutdown the droids, now!" Zule barked at the CIS technicians.

Fearfully, the Separatist noncombatants typed at their terminals only for nothing to happen. "It isn't working!" one of them said. "Master Jedi, we can't order a shutdown of the battle droids!"

"That's because you need me."

Chad looked at Tonith as the Muun Admiral strode forward, having kept his hands empty and visible during the brief firefight in the control room in order to avoid being shot. "I secretly made sure that a voice command from myself would be necessary to trigger a shutdown of the droid army, Master Jedi," he said. "So I offer my help in shutting down the droids. All I wish for is that you swear to let me live."

Chad shook his head but agreed. "All right, Tonith," he told the Muun Separatist. "You shutdown the droids, I won't kill you."

"Good to hear," said Tonith before he sat down at a terminal, typed at it, then spoke a voice command. After the terminal asked for confirmation, Tonith then stated a second command, which initiated a shutdown.

Soon after, Serra contacted Chad. "Chad, you wouldn't believe it!" she said. "I don't know why, but the droids are shutting down!"

"Roger that," replied Chad before turning back to Tonith. "Good work, Admiral. I won't kill you unless in defense of myself or others...but that doesn't preclude someone else killing you, since I didn't agree to saving you. So I suggest you behave."

The Muun naval officer paled. "Of course, kind sir."

"All units, this is General Skywalker," announced Chad. "Stratus and Ventress remain unaccounted for, I repeat, neither Stratus nor Ventress have been found in the bunker. Stay on high alert and report all sightings, over."

 ***CUT TO: BUILDING NEAR AIRFIELD, NATIONALIST BASE, RAZOR COAST, JABIIM***

"Keep the pressure up, boys!" Kass shouted as she, Mak, and Sixes led the assault on the Separatist's right flank. "We're not done here just yet!"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" the clones responded.

With their battle droids shutdown, the Separatists now relied on their organic troops, namely the Nationalist Army. However, that did not mean that JSAF would have an easy victory. If anything, the Nationalists now fought harder and were more desperate now that they no longer had droids to help them.

"Leska to Kass and Mak, come in!" the female Jedi Knight said. "If either of you are receiving, acknowledge immediately!"

Mak tapped at his helmet, answering the hail, for Kass was busy hacking at a group of super battle droids. "Mak here, Master Leska," he replied.

"We've got reports of Ventress and other Sep VIPs trying to get to their ships and escape, do not let them get away. This could be our only chance to capture or eliminate these Seps. Do you understand?"

"Loud and clear, Master," Mak replied. "We won't let them if we can help it." He turned to Kass. "Kass-."

"-I heard," she interrupted. "Sixes, we gotta stop some escaping Seps, you okay here?"

"I'm good, Commander Tod," responded the clone officer. "We can handle these thugs, you two need to keep their bosses from escaping to fight another day."

Kass nodded and ran with Mak towards the base airfield. Two squads of Nationalists tried to stop the Padawan pair, but the two were able to take them out without much difficulty. Once all of the bluecoats were dead or incapacitated, an injured Ventress walked down a corvette's loading ramp.

"I'm guessing it was Tonith who shutdown the droids," the bald Dark Jedi said. "Clever, but I planned for something like this and as such sent an appropriate request."

Suddenly a group of tall gray droids armed with electrostaffs descended the loading ramp.

"How is this possible?" Mak questioned. "Weren't all the droids shutdown?"

"These MagnaGuards don't take deactivation orders from rich imbeciles like Tonith," explained Ventress. "Now die!"

Ventress retreated while the droids engaged Mak and Kass in combat. To the dismay of both young Jedi, the electrostaffs not only could stand up to lightsaber blades but were quite painful if they landed a hit.

"Kass, go!" Mak shouted as he struggled to stay on his feet after being hit in the chest.

"No!" Kass shouted back before grunting in pain from a hit. "We live together or we die together!" The young Zabrak woman was sure of one thing; she loved Mak with all her heart and would not abandon him to die alone.

"Then you two better fight together as wel!" Chad said as he and his brother Anakin arrived. "Get that bitch and everyone else on the VIP list, we'll take care of these clankers!"

Both Kass and Mak nodded their thanks and understanding before sprinting away. One of the droids tried to attack Anakin, but he grabbed its electrostaff before proceeding to slice it in half vertically.

"Glad to have a hand from you, bro," Chad said as he attacked another MagnaGuard.

"Hand jokes aren't funny anymore."

Mak and Kass headed towards a pair of _Sheathipede_ -class shurtles. One of them, containing Ventress and piloted by Captain Tuuk, was already taking off.

"We gotta go for the closest one!" said Kass.

"Right!" agreed Mak.

The two leaped and jumped onto the other Separatist shuttle just as it took off. Mak, who was closer to the front of the ship, stabbed his lightsaber into the windshield, creating a hole in it. Meanwhile Kass cut a hole into the top of the shuttle before throwing an EMP grenade inside.

"Jump!"

Both Kass and Mak jumped off the shuttle just before the EMP grenade went off, shutting down the shuttle's reactor and cutting all power to the repulsorlifts and engines, and hit the water, having used the Force to slow themselves down and make sure their landings weren't fatal. The Separatists onboard the shuttle, on the other hand (including Stratus and Toth, who had fled in an effort to avoid capture), were doomed to drown unless they could somehow get out of their shuttle after it crashed into the ocean and sank.

"Stang," Mak muttered after both he and Kass made it back to shore, cold and wet but alive. "I will never take a hot shower for granted again."

"Me too, Mak," Kass said. She then added, "And neither of us are gonna take our time together for granted as well," before kissing the love of her life on the lips. Mak was surprised, but he embraced Kass and made it clear to her that the kiss wasn't one-sided at all.

 **ME: This chapter is dedicated to Malcolm X, a civil rights activist who was murdered by Nation of Islam assassins.**

 **Qucik word of advice: Try to avoid rushing on fanfiction. Better to make your fans wait for the good stuff then hurry and screw up because you were more concerned about regular updates, leaving them disappointed.**

 **I hope this was alright. I finished this late at night, so apologies for any errors.**

 **For those of you thinking Ventress got Worfed, bear in mind Chad broke one of her ribs and the pain from that would distract and inhibit her in a fight. Odds are Chad would be in pain as well, true, but given how his shoulder was armored he probably would be better off. Apologies if the lightsaber duel was bad, I don't think those are my forte.**

 **Not sure how Durge could have come back from being blasted apart by the Force from the inside out like when Obi-Wan fought him on Muunilinst back in the miniseries. Granted, I like to think he was a decent Knight of Cerebus in this story.**

 **I named Smoloko after an antisemitic website.**

 **I may be taking a break to read Bloodlines this weekend. No spoilers, people!**


	31. Aftermath of a Storm

**ME: Now time to get back to the story of Chad and his fellow Jedi.**

The war had its effect on all of us. For Jedi Knights like General Skywalker, I think it transformed them...and not necessarily in a good way.

 **(Anonymous Jabiimi Loyalist veteran)**

The clones and Jedi had defeated the last of the Separatists at Razor Coast. Most of the Nationalist soldiers, chosen for their fanatical loyalty if not their skill, had died fighting rather than surrender. The majority of the Separatists who had surrendered were not Jabiimi and instead sentients like Muuns, Neimoidians, and Quarren. Of the Jabiimi Nationalists who had surrendered, only three were Nimbus Commandos. The others all wore the blue uniforms of the Nationalist infantry.

Regardless of their species, all of the captured Separatists were checked for weapons before being placed under guard. Aubrie and the clone medics treated the wounded, while Chad requested gunships to get the Separatist prisoners and Republic wounded back to Shelter Base. Some of the clones busied themselves with policing dropped Separatist weapons, while others patrolled the captured Nationalist base in a vain attempt to find hidden enemies or collected dead troopers. Serra and Tohno cleared the airfield of debris so the gunships could use it to land, while Anakin retrieved the bodies of Vaabesh and Warble out of guilt for not arriving in time to save the two.

"General Skywalker," Cody said to Chad outside of the Nationalist bunker, "scans have determined the neurotoxin aboard the destroyed Separatist attack craft has been neutralized. You may remove your helmet now, sir."

Chad shook his head. "I'm fine, Commander," he replied, "but thank you for informing me of this. You can tell the others, they probably mind wearing helmets more than I do."

Zule exited the bunker with Marik and Star Squad as well as a captive Admiral Tonith. "Alright, Tonith here claims he has the locations of every major Nationalist base on this miserable rock," she told Chad. "Of course, we'll need to verify his data, Master Skywalker, but it's a start."

"Let the Navy slag those bastards from orbit," said Chad. "I'm done losing Jedi and clones alike to these assaults, Zule. It's not only horrible to deal with, it's also strategically impractical since the Seps have a huge numerical advantage."

"Glad to hear I'm not the only one tired of this shit," Zule stated.

"Commander Xiss, scans have determined that the air is safe to breath," Cody informed her.

The attractive Falleen female promptly took off her helmet. "I hate this stupid thing," she said. "It's good for use in space and nowhere else."

"Mandalorians understand the value of a helmet, Commander," said Marik. "But comfort is also valuable, so we just get buckets that fit and are versatile."

Chad guessed that Zule and Marik had feelings for each other, but he chose not to interfere for reasons that would be obvious to those who knew of his greatest secret. He then walked over to the airfield to check on things.

Anakin, having retrieved both Warble and Vaabesh's bodies, finished hauling the corpse of a fallen clone trooper just as Chad came into view.

"Anakin," his brother asked, "I heard you took out Durge. Good job doing that and taking out the Hex Deployers."

"Thanks," Anakin responded, "but not really regarding Durge. All I did was ram _Azure Angel_ into him then blow that murglak apart when he absorbed me."

"That motherfucker absorbed you?!" Chad asked, shocked.

"Yeah, I really don't wanna talk about it," Anakin said, shuddering upon remembering the experience. The young Padawan would _not_ be telling Padmé about what he had experienced inside Durge, that was certain.

"Got it," replied Chad.

Kass and Mak, having climbed up from the shore, walked towards Chad.

"Master Skywalker," Kass began, "we were only able to get one of the Separatist shuttles. However, Mak and I were able to send it into the ocean where it sank."

"Did you guys have any idea of who was on board?" Chad asked. "Nice work regardless."

"No, Master," Mak said. "I didn't see anyone onboard. Ventress could've been on that shuttle, but I wouldn't know for sure."

"I'll get us closure," stated Anakin before he ran to the cliff and jumped, using the Force to cushion his landing. Putting on an artificial gill, Anakin then dove into the water and swam towards the sunken shuttle. Shattering the windshield with the Force, he entered the shuttle wreck and saw that, aside from the two dead pilots and a team of Nimbus Commandos, Stratus's corpse was present along with a dark-haired body Anakin recognized as Captain Toth.

 _Three down,_ the young Padawan thought, _one to go._

 ***CUT TO: SHELTER BASE, MONSOON MESA, JABIIM***

The last of the gunships landed at Shelter Base, releasing Chad and his subordinates.

"You might wanna get that looked at, Chad," Serra said, wincing at the burn wound on his shoulder.

Chad nodded. "Yeah, but Aubrie and the medics were occupied," he said. "I wouldn't want to divert attention from a badly wounded trooper who needs all the help he can get."

Sixes: "I can put a bacta bandage on that, General."

Chad smiled under his helmet before removing his ruined shoulder plate. "Thanks, Sixes."

Anakin walked into the briefing room, surprised to see Obi-Wan on his feet. "Master, are you okay?" he asked. It would sound stupid to any casual observer, but given how Obi-Wan had ended up in a coma in the first place Anakin's reaction was justified.

"I am better, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "Thank you for asking."

Ellia smiled grimly at Chad. "It is good that you guys were able to shutdown the droids when you did, Chad," she said. "The Separatists launched another attack on Cobalt Station and its outposts during the assault, I had to send half of our reserves to fend them off. Luckily enough, without droids to back them up the Nationalists were driven off."

Chad nodded. "Good to hear the attack was repelled," he responded. The Jedi General knew that JSAF's reserves consisted of merely two regiments of clone troopers, so it was a blessing from the Force that the droids on Jabiim had been deactivated.

Marik walked in with a datapad in his hands. "General Kenobi, sir," he greeted Obi-Wan. "Good to see your coma has ended."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Orar," said the auburn-haired Jedi Knight. "I trust you have something to say regarding the datapad you're carrying?"

"Yes, General," Marik said as he linked the datapad to the holotank, which then displayed a map of Jabiim. "Sir, Admiral Tonith claims that this map shows the location of every major Nationalist base on the planet. If he's not lying, General Kenobi, we now have the opportunity to get the Navy to bombard the Seps from orbit where they're strongest. No casualties on our end, and the only reason to not hit any of these bases is if there's a chance of civilians getting hit as well as Seps."

Obi-Wan nodded and sighed. "Normally, I would find such destruction excessive," he said. "But this is war, and war is very unpleasant. Additionally, our valiant clone soldiers are outnumbered by the Confederacy's battle droids, so preserving their lives is not only a moral requirement, but a strategic necessity."

"I'm glad you see that, Obi-Wan," Chad said.

"Thank you, Chad," Obi-Wan said to the younger Jedi Knight. "I will order the fleet to begin bombarding what bases they can, you and the others should rest. All of you have earned it and will need to get as much sleep as possible before any future battles."

 ***CUT TO: BRIDGE OF GRS _NEGOTIATOR_ ***

Admiral Dao was surprised to see General Kenobi when he answered the call from Shelter Base.

"General Kenobi," Dao said. "I thought you were in a coma."

"I was, but as you can see I have recovered," replied Kenobi. "I'm sending you a list of coordinates, each set of which is for a Nationalist base. I want you to bombard them from orbit."

The Republic naval officer raised an eyebrow. "Sir," he questioned, "do you actually want us to commence orbital bombardment?"

Kenobi: "Affirmative, Admiral Dao. Do not worry, all of these targets are purely military. I simply wish to avoid the high casualties that will come from trying to neutralize these bases by conventional means."

"As you wish, General Kenobi." Dao shook his head once he gave the orders to the rest of the fleet. _Jedi being ruthless, if calculatingly practical, at war-what is the galaxy coming to?_

 ***CUT TO: OUTSKIRTS OF CHOAL, JABIIM***

"Don't let anyone get past!" Colonel Gillmunn ordered. "If even one Nationalist escapes, your grandchildren will have to deal with the repercussions!"

Nolan nodded as he fired at the Separatist combatants. Most of what remained of the Nationalist Army along with the terrorist arm of the Nationalist Party, the National Liberation Front, had withdrawn to Choal in a cowardly effort to avoid being wiped out from orbit by using the civilian population as sentient shields. In response, General Kenobi had ordered the encirclement of Jabiim's planetary capital and a siege had begun.

Now the Republic was bombarding Separatist targets, taking care to minimize collateral damage even though civilian casualties were only avoidable if both sides in battle took steps to avoid them. The objective of the infantry, Guardsmen and clone troopers alike, was to prevent any of the Nationalists from escaping.

Aubrie was with Nolan and his father, deflecting blaster bolts with her lightsaber. A group of nearly three dozen Separatists-nine battle droids that had not shutdown for whatever reason (though there were too few droids to turn the tide of the battle), eleven Nationalist bluecoats, and fifteen armed men in civilian clothes-charged at the Republican lines, firing as they attempted to close the gap, but only were able to kill a few clones and Guardsmen before being gunned down.

"They're getting pretty stupid, Commander Wyn," said one of the clones.

A Guardsman snorted. "Hey," he shot back, "these assholes wanna die this way, fine by me. Probably getting desperate since their precious Stratus-."

The Jabiimi Loyalist was cut off by a missile slamming into the ground and exploding. The explosion killed a number of clones and Guardsmen and severely injured more than a few other Republic soldiers.

Orliss was lucky enough to survive, for a given definition of "lucky." A piece of shrapnel had sliced off both of his legs, prompting Aubrie to cauterize the stumps with her lightsaber blade. Though the bleeding had been stopped before he could lose too much blood, the Jabiimi Colonel still screamed in pain before becoming unconscious.

"Stay with me, Dad!" Nolan pleaded as he fumbled with his comlink while Aubrie and the medics desperately tried to save the rest of the wounded. "This is Lieutenant Gillmunn to Control, Colonel Gillmunn and a number of other soldiers have been severely wounded!" the young Guard officer yelled. "I say again, we have multiple wounded in need of immediate casevac! Does anyone copy, over?"

 ***CUT TO: HOSPITAL, SHELTER BASE, MONSOON MESA, JABIIM***

When Gillmunn awoke, he saw his son and Commander Wyn sitting by his bedside.

"Dad, you alright?" Nolan asked.

The older Loyalist nodded. "I feel better now, Nolan," he said. "How are things going?"

Wyn answered for him. "We won, Colonel," said the Jedi healer. "Choal has been liberated. The Nationalists have been defeated, all that's left of them will be easy to handle. Would you like to try walking with your new legs now?"

Orliss's prosthetic legs felt foreign and strange, but the Colonel supposed he would get used to them. "Sure, Commander Wyn," he said.

As Orliss stumbled as he adjusted to his cybernetic legs, he reflected on the fact that nothing would be the same even with Stratus's followers neutralized.

 ***CUT TO: COMMUNICATIONS ROOM, SHELTER BASE, MONSOON MESA, JABIIM***

"The Nationalists are finished, Your Excellency," Chad told Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. "Their strongholds have been destroyed, what remains of the Separatist Alliance on Jabiim will soon be eliminated."

"Good work, General Skywalker," the elderly statesman said. "Master Windu, I trust you want to share the good news with your former apprentice?"

Mace nodded. "Chad," he said, "in light of our losses since the beginning of the war, the Council has decided to Knight your brother and the rest of the surviving Padawans on Jabiim."

Chad did not speak for several seconds, surprised as he was. "Anakin and the others will take the Trials?" he asked.

"No, young Skywalker," said Master Yoda. "Substituted for the Trials, the Battle of Jabiim did. Worthy of Knighthood, the surviving Padawans have proven themselves to be."

Obi-Wan smiled. "This is going to be a pleasant surprise for all of them," the older Jedi Knight said.

 ***CUT TO: HANGAR BAY, GRS _LEVELER_ ***

"Welcome back, General Skywalker and General Keto," Pellaeon greeted Chad and Serra. "Congratulations on your promotion, ma'am."

"I haven't been Knighted yet, Captain Pellaeon," Serra said. "But it's the thought that counts, so thank you. Permission to board?"

The Captain of _Leveler_ smiled. "So long as a ship is under my command, Generals," he said, "you two will _always_ have permission to board."

 **ME: A/N: Should Serra get a Padawan or not?**

 **I'm considering writing a lemon that takes place right after this.**

 **I added the bit about droids that weren't deactivated because some droids didn't shutdown at the end of the Clone Wars.**

 **Theory: The defoliator was designed in-universe to compensate for the weaknesses of chemical weapons like nerve gas.**

 **The whole "destroy organics while leaving machines intact" is something nerve gas is quite capable of doing. But due to clone armor, it wouldn't be as effective against the Republic. Defoliators, however, can't be defeated by protective suits or filters. Sure you can't use them while friendly organic troops are around, but since the CIS tends to favor droids that isn't much of a disadvantage. Plus there's no way that defoliators can affect friendly troops on accident due to, say, wind, and if you're using it to clear an urban area you can immediately make use of it afterwards (whereas with gas it could take awhile before you can reoccupy the area).**


	32. New Knights of the Republic

**ME: Time to get back to Chad and co. Couldn't come up with a better title.**

The Jedi Council has opted to raise the surviving Padawans from the Jabiim campaign to Knighthood. Most likely pragmatism, but given what the young Jedi all went through on that Forceforsaken rock it is likely that survivors have been forged. I have my eye on Anakin Skywalker, but regardless of who replaces Pong Krell as my apprentice in the future all of the younger warriors who fought against that lunatic Stratus and his fanatical followers and lived to tell the tale will either be dangerous adversaries or useful assets.

 **(Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, secretly Darth Sidious, musing in private following the Battle of Jabiim)**

The bridge of GRS _Leveler_ hummed with activity as the Acclamator-class assault ship prepared to drop out of hyperspace near Coruscant.

"Helm, stand by to begin deceleration in t-minus sixty seconds," said the navigation officer.

"Yes, sir," said the clone pilot serving as _Leveler's_ helmsman. "Standing by to decelerate from hyperspace."

Chad, Serra, and Sixes stood on the bridge. "Just you wait, Sixes," said Chad. "This is gonna be a sight you won't regret taking the time to witness."

"Begin deceleration in t-minus ten, nine, eight, seven, six," the navigation officer said, beginning the final countdown, "five, four, three, two, one, _now_."

The helmsman disengaged the hyperdrive, ending _Leveler's_ FTL jump.

"Wow," Sixes said after a pregnant pause. "Thank you, General Skywalker. That definitely was worth the time we've spent here, sir."

"Glad to hear that, Sixes," Chad said. "Thanks for the ride, Captain Pellaeon. I'll make sure to mention _Leveler_ providing fire support during the Siege of Choal."

"You would have done the same for us, sir," said the Corellian officer.

The trio of GAR officers left the bridge shortly after. Sixes broke off to visit those of the 182nd who had been wounded in the fighting on Jabiim, while Serra and Chad headed for the hangar.

"Hey, Chad," Anakin's voice emerged from Chad's comlink. "Are you there?"

"Yeah, bro," said Chad into his comlink. "What is it?"

"Don't get into a shuttle, I'm picking everyone up so we can all head to the Temple in one ship," Chad's brother said. "That way, we'll save time getting landing clearance."

"Copy that, Anakin," replied Chad. "I guess Serra and I will just wait aboard _Leveler,_ thanks."

Serra looked around the hangar before glancing at her husband. "What unit do you think I'll be assigned to?" she asked.

Chad shrugged. "I don't know," he told his wife. "Some legion reporting to Mace or Obi-Wan?"

Eventually Anakin's _Nu_ -class shuttle arrived after being cleared to land by _Leveler's_ traffic controllers. The Jedi couple promptly boarded it, allowing Anakin to takeoff and head towards Coruscant.

 ***CUT TO: TEMPLE HANGAR, JEDI TEMPLE, TEMPLE PRECINCT, GALACTIC CITY, CORUSCANT***

Mace allowed himself a rare smile once the shuttle carrying the surviving Jedi from Jabiim landed and extended its ramp.

Chancellor Palpatine was present as well, accompanied by both his Red Guards and a group of reporters. The Korun had objected to the media presence, but he had been overruled by Palpatine.

"The people of the Republic are getting more and more fearful in light of the aggression of the Separatists," the older man said. "They need to see heroes when they sit down to watch the news."

Mace stepped forward and shook Kenobi's hand. "Master Kenobi, it is good to see that you and the others have returned from Jabiim," he said.

"Thank you, Master Windu," replied Kenobi. "It is good to return to the Temple, even if only temporarily."

Palpatine shook his head. "Take heart in this, Master Kenobi," the Chancellor said. "The victory of your forces on Jabiim is proof that the Separatists are a threat to the Republic but a threat that our brave troops can and will defeat. The Republic did not start this war, but we will end it with a victory for righteousness and democracy."

Mace left Obi-Wan to answer the reporters' questions while he and Palpatine successfully dragged Chad away from the spotlight.

"Chad, we've heard reports that you executed prisoners of war on Jabiim," Mace asked once the three men were able to speak in private. "Is this true?"

His former Padawan nodded. "Yes and no, Master," he answered.

"Yes and no?" asked Palpatine while Mace raised an eyebrow.

Chad: "The Jabiimi Nationalists I executed were all captured fighting in civilian clothes without identifying marks or symbols. As such, they were not eligible for treatment as POWs under the Coruscant Conventions. So what I did was entirely legal, and I did it to intimidate the enemy and hopefully motivate more surrenders, which would decrease the casualties for both sides."

Mace nodded. "Well, I have read that, during your stint as the Commanding General of JSAF, you and your troops did treat captured Separatists who did wear uniforms appropriately," he said before sighing. "Hopefully you'll be able to get through this war without making decisions of this nature anymore."

The younger man shook his head. "We're at war, Mace," said Chad. "But I'll do what I have to so someone else won't have to do so instead."

 ***CUT TO: JEDI HIGH COUNCIL CHAMBER, JEDI TEMPLE, TEMPLE PRECINCT, GALACTIC CITY, CORUSCANT***

Aubrie, who was happy to be Knighted but sad about Master Sirrus not being alive for it, did her best to appear calm and collected as she entered the Council chamber. The doors sealed behind her, leaving the room in darkness.

The twelve members of the Jedi Council activated their lightsabers, revealing that all of them save Master Yoda had the hoods of their robes up.

"Step forward, Padawan," Master Yoda ordered.

Despite being somewhat nervous, Aubrie obeyed, stepping forward and getting down on one knee while bowing her head.

"Aubrie Wyn," Yoda said to the young woman. "By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, dub thee I do Jedi. Knight of the Republic."

Yoda then severed Aubrie's Padawan braid, formally completing the Knighting ceremony.

She rose to her feet. "Thank you, Master Yoda," said Aubrie. "It is an honor to be seen as fit for Knighthood, Masters."

The newly promoted Jedi Knight left the Council chamber, only to be surprised by the sight of her older cousin, Ellia Leska, standing without the aid of crutches.

"Ellia?" Aubrie asked. "Is that really you?"

Ellia nodded and laughed. "Yes, Aubrie, it really is me," she said. "That freak Anakin killed back on Jabiim shot me in the spine, severing it, but I got surgery. Now I have a cybernetic link between both halves of my spine, so I can walk again. I figured this would be a pleasant surprise for you."

Aubrie nodded as she embraced her cousin in a hug. "Good to see you're back on your feet, then," the younger Jedi Knight said. "Thank you for choosing to surprise me this way."

"You're welcome," Ellia said. "Congratulations on making Knighthood, I always knew you'd become a great Jedi Knight."

 **ME: I wonder what our heroes should do next? Should Tohno get herself blown up like in the comics?**

 **I got the idea for how Ellia's now able to walk again from a theory that Finn, likely crippled due to his spine being severed courtesy of Kylo Ren, will have to get a cybernetic bridge between the upper and lower halves of his spine. I decided to have the update end that way to conclude things on a happy note, sorry for this chapter being somewhat short.**

 **I wonder what unit Serra should command. The 187th Legion? They were a unit associated with Windu, and her husband is Mace's former Padawan.**


	33. Special Standoff

**ME: Time for me to introduce everyone's favorite Mando NCO...Kal** **Skirata! I do this in celebration of finishing Part One of Darth Plagueis.**

The Null-class ARC troopers have seized Special Forces HQ. They were trained by and are said to be totally obedient only to Sergeant Kal Skirata, a Mandalorian mercenary hired to train special forces clones. Find him and get the Nulls to stand down, the last thing we need right now is the destruction of a very valuable building just because we couldn't deal with six rogue ARCs.

 **(Senior General Iri Camas, Director of Republic Special Forces, speaking to the Commissioner of the Coruscant Security Force)**

If there was ever a good reason for Kal Skirata to willingly get into a CSF speeder, keeping six of his boys from getting killed by their own brothers was it.

"Dispatch, this is Lieutenant Divo," the cop said after he sat down in the back of the speeder. "Come in, over."

"Lieutenant, this is Dispatch," responded a female officer. "I copy, go ahead."

Divo: "Dispatch, I have Sergeant Kal Skirata. Repeat, I found Skirata. Over."

"Understood, proceed to Special Forces HQ ASAP. Dispatch out."

The Galactic City Police Department speeder raced towards the headquarters for the Republic Special Forces. For whatever reason (most likely some _di'kutla_ Jedi), the Null ARCs had taken over the building and were now being besieged by the GAR. Kal had been sought out by Senior General Iri Camas, the Jedi Master in charge of the Special Forces units, in order to neutralize the threat the Nulls posed without any casualties.

 _I can't wait to hear what motivated six of my boys to takeover Special Forces HQ..._

GAR infantry units had surrounded the building, Skirata saw as the speeder came in to land. Of course, the majority of the soldiers were clones, but there were also a number of soldiers who clearly weren't from Kamino. Skirata recognized them as members of Rahm Kota's Militia, a volunteer unit formed by Senior General Rahm Kota. Distrusting the clones and believing them to be unfit for battle (much to Skirata's disgust), Kota had recruited his troops from various militias, patriotic citizens, former mercenaries, and reportedly even Separatist POWs.

 _Pretty sure not even a politician like Palps would be dumb enough to let captured Seps join the Armed Forces just because they claimed they wanted to defect._

Skirata exited the GCPD speeder, taking care as he stepped onto the ground. He still hadn't gotten his ankle fixed, so the Mandalorian mercenary tried to avoid straining it whenever he could.

Camas, his long white hair both unbecoming and impractical for a soldier, greeted Skirata along with a burly and bearded Jedi with graying hair.

"Thank you for responding to my request, Sergeant Skirata," said Camas. "I apologize for sending Lieutenant Divo to pick you up, but time is of the essence. You are also no longer under contract to the Grand Army, so you had no legal obligation to come here."

"Yes, I know that, General Camas," replied Skirata. "I'm a civilian right now, actually, so no reason to call me _Sergeant_. Any idea why the Nulls decided to start a siege? I raised and trained those boys myself, they wouldn't get into a standoff with their brethren for trivial reasons."

Camas frowned. "That's classified, Citizen Skirata," he said.

The other Jedi, likely a Master and Senior General like Camas, frowned. "General Camas," he said, "I believe Skirata needs to know why the Nulls are doing what they're doing."

"Master Zey-," Camas said in protest.

"-don't, _Jetii_ ," Skirata interrupted before turning to Zey. "Mind explaining things to me, General Zey?"

Zey nodded before clearing his throat. "The Null Advanced Recon Commandos behave erratically thanks to their unique genetic modifications, but they are also some of the best soldiers we have. However, due to their insubordinate tendencies, General Camas felt it best that they be kept in cryogenic suspension whenever they aren't on assignment to keep them from defecting, deserting, leaking information, et-."

"-WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Zey sighed in resignation. "I had a feeling you would say that, Sergeant," he admitted.

Camas shook his head. "Please get them to stand down and surrender, Sergeant," said the moronic Jedi Master. "We can't blow up this building just to neutralize six ARCs."

Skirata looked the _di'kut_ in the eye. "Oh, I'll get them to end the siege without a shot fired," he replied. "But there are some conditions you have to agree to first."

Camas nodded. "All right, Sergeant. You name your price and we'll pay it."

Skirata did his best to avoid clenching his teeth. "No, General," he responded. "First off, you reenlist me in the Republic Army. I'll end up working for the GAR as an advisor. Second off, under no circumstances are the Nulls to be disciplined in any way, shape, or form for this incident. Given what they went through back on Kamino, how they reacted is understandable. Third off, Camas, do yourself and the entire Republic a favor and take that dumb idea to stick the Nulls in cryo-chambers and shove it where a star doesn't shine. Do you accept my terms?"

Camas nodded again, clearly resigned. "At least this standoff will end without a single casualty," he said.

Skirata walked towards the courtyard entrance, which was barricaded by blast shields erected by the clones. In addition to those preparations, the spec ops trainer had noticed sniper teams on the rooftops. Clearly whoever was in charge of maintaining a secure perimeter took his-or her-job seriously.

Two figures approached Skirata, one clearly a Jedi given the two lightsabers that hung on her belt even though she didn't wear the traditional brown robes. The other one he recognized from a HoloNet News broadcast on Jabiim as General Chad Skywalker, who was wearing modified clone armor. Skywalker's armor plates and helmet had the same black, white, and gray camo pattern as his command, the 182nd Legion, though Skywalker wore less plates and had a reddish-brown Republic cog on his chest plate.

"Sir, we can't let you pass," said Skywalker.

Zey ran over. "It's okay, General Skywalker," he said. "In fact, you need to let Sergeant Skirata pass. He says he can get the Nulls to stand down."

The younger Jedi nodded before tapping his helmet comlink. "All units, this is Skywalker," he said. "Keep your weapons at the ready but hold fire for now, repeat, hold fire for now. Over."

A Militiaman and a trooper picked up their shields and carried them to the side at the female Jedi's behest, allowing Skirata to pass through. Nodding his thanks, Skirata then strolled through the courtyard before knocking on the main entrance.

A minute or two passed before the reinforced durasteel door opened.

" _Ord'ika?_ " called Skirata. "Ordo! You and the other Nulls have been very naught _ad'ike_ again, haven't you? You can come out now, your whitejob _vode_ and the mongrel grunts won't shoot."

Ordo came into view, one hand holding a blast shield, the other one holding a blaster pistol. "Are you sure about that, _Kal'buir?_ "

Skirata nodded. "That utter _di'kut_ of a Jedi, Camas, has agreed to not subject you and the others to disciplinary action. In fact, I'm now a Sergeant again."

Ordo lowered his sidearm. "Thank you so much, _Kal'buir,_ " the ARC Captain said. "I'm sorry, the guys and I just really didn't want to be frozen in cryo-chambers like Neuvian cream."

"Don't ever apologize for defending yourself or your brothers, _Ord'ika_ ," Skirata told him. "Though I doubt you'll have to worry about being used for a sundae anytime soon."

 **ME: Special thanks to Karen Traviss's _Triple Zero_ for providing the template for this chapter.**

 **I'm now thinking Serra will command the 187th Legion. I was originally gonna have her wear a camo outfit, but I don't know whether or not Chad and the 182nd should be the only Republicans to wear camo.**

 **Hopefully you guys enjoyed this, now time for me to get some breakfast. Breakfast-it's the most important meal of the day. We all know that, right?**


	34. Cat and Mouse

**ME: Time for our three favorite Jedi Knights and one of everyone's favorite Jedi Masters.**

This is General Kenobi to Senator Organa. Our forces have broken the Separatist blockade, help is on the way.

 **(High General Obi-Wan Kenobi, speaking to Senator Bail Organa on Christophsis)**

In addition to her respirator and tactical glasses, Serra now wore a camouflage outfit. Due to the outfit having electrochromic properties, she could choose different patterns if she wanted to, so Serra had opted for the same urban pattern used by her husband and the 182nd Legion instead of the standard desert camo pattern used by her command, the 187th Legion, since they were headed for the capital of Christophsis, Crystal City.

"General Keto," the pilot said, "we'll be at the LZ in about five minutes."

"Copy that, pilot," replied Serra. "You heard him, boys! You got t-minus five to finish prepping for battle."

The troopers in the gunship put on and secured their helmets, loaded their weapons, and checked their equipment. As the CO of an entire legion, Serra knew it was up to her to do her part in making sure as many of the clones under her command came back as possible, but the young Jedi Knight knew she couldn't save everyone.

 _Not that it'll stop me from trying...but such is the nature of war. Not everyone returns._

"One minute!" announced the pilot.

"One minute!" repeated Serra. "T-minus sixty seconds, gentlemen!"

The droids that had been attacking Senator Organa's relief efforts and the Christophian Loyalists had previously done so with Admiral Trench's fleet providing backup for them. Now with the CIS flotilla in disarray, it was their turn to take a pounding.

"Missiles away!" the co-pilot said as he fired two EMP missiles at a battle droid formation.

"Uh-oh," a droid was able to say just before being fried by the EMP.

Conventional missiles slammed into Armored Assault Tanks, blowing them up. Meanwhile the gunships began to lay down suppressing fire with their laser cannons as they landed and offloaded their infantry complements.

"Go, go, go!" Serra ordered, using her two lightsabers to deflect blasterfire. "Fire and communicate, keep moving forward!"

Her troopers advanced per orders, some carrying blast shields to provide moving cover for themselves and their comrades. The droids' numerical advantage could only last so long, and evidently their organic commander had decided to cut his-or her-losses, for the clankers eventually disengaged and retreated.

"That's right, you walking scrap metal!" said her second-in-command as he fired at the fleeing automatons. "Run like the junk on legs you all are!"

"Try not to waste ammo, Bruiser," said Serra. Not that firing at retreating droids was that much of a waste.

Chad tapped at his helmet comlink. "This is General Chad Skywalker to _Tenacious_ , over," he said as he and the three other Jedi Generals walked over to Senator Organa.

"This is Commander Tarkin, XO aboard GRS _Tenacious_ ," replied a voice with an Eriadu accent. "I copy, General. Go ahead, over."

"Commander Tarkin, we've landed at Crystal City," Chad informed the Eriaduan officer. "We need to take out the enemy's command center, requesting orbital support. Be advised: I think you may be able to locate the Sep command center by triangulation then bombard it, over."

"Negative on fire support, General Skywalker," Tarkin responded. "We're still dealing with the remaining enemy ships, you're on your own for now. Over."

Chad muted his transceiver before cursing so he wouldn't undermine Tarkin's confidence in him, then reactivated it. "Understood, Commander. Please contact me once something is available, we really need to cut off the head here. Skywalker out."

Senator Bail Organa smiled as he approached the four Jedi Knights in charge of the Republic troops who had saved the day. "Generals," he greeted. "I don't know how you four did it, but it doesn't matter. What does matter is that all of you have saved a great many lives today. For that, I thank you on behalf of the people of this troubled world."

"We're just doing our jobs, Senator Organa," Anakin said in response. "The real heroes are ordinary people like your and your fellow relief workers as well as our soldiers and the Christophians who were willing to take up arms to defend their homes. They don't have the Force to protect themselves."

The Alderaan politician sighed. "Unfortunately, Master Jedi, all of the Christophian Loyalists who fought to defend this city today are dead. The only bright side is that their sacrifice bought enough time for us to evacuate the remaining civilians."

Chad, who had taken off his helmet out of politeness, looked Organa in the eye. "My troops and I will make sure their deaths weren't in vain, sir," he said solemnly.

 ***CUT TO: CONFEDERATE ARMY MOB, CRYSTAL CITY, CHRISTOPHSIS***

General Whorm Loathsom, a Kerkoiden officer in charge of the Confederate Army units tasked with securing Christophsis, frowned at Commander Asajj Ventress. The Rattataki woman operated outside of the traditional CDF command structure, and thus Loathsom did not trust the pale-skinned Near-Human.

"Thanks to the defeat of Admiral Trench's blockade, the Republicans have been able to land," the Kerkoiden General said. "Commander Ventress, if the enemy has warships in orbit around the planet and we don't, then our advantage in numbers won't matter since they turn us to glass right here, right now. How can we avert a defeat?"

"I have brought along an operative to help out, General," Ventress answered, indicating a Human woman with brown hair and green eyes who was slightly shorter than the Commander. "And I also have recruited an inside source in the Republic Army. Between the four of us, victory is assured."

 **ME: This chapter is dedicated to the victims of the Bastille Day terrorist attack on June 14, 2015. May God damn all Jihadists to hell for all eternity. These raping and murdering bastards deserve to be burned alive-it'd be poetic justice given the method in which one Jordanian pilot was murdered.**

 **The woman Ventress brought with her is Quiet from Metal Gear Solid. For whatever reason, the Internet feels free to moan about her admittedly tasteless character design (you'd think the stockings would interfere with her breathing) but not about actual, important issues, like the misogyny characteristic of radical Islam. Quiet is a fictional character who is not harmed by perverted men staring at her, not a Middle Eastern woman who's had acid thrown at her face.**

 **Sorry for this being somewhat short, I wanted to get out an update. BTW, I've been trying to familiarize myself with KOTOR and SWTOR material since on Ahsokafanboy1138's recommendation and I will be going on vacation next month from 8/7/16/ to 8/14/16, so I may not post any updates for some time. Sorry, guys.**


	35. The Hidden Enemy

**ME: This is why one does not simply screw with the Skywalker Twins. Or any other powerful Force-users, for that matter.**

I wonder how many of those cloned creatures bred in some laboratory have anything resembling free will. Perhaps we can subvert the Republic's army of identical soldiers for our own goals. After all, a birth-born recruit or conscript is one thing, but who would suspect a trooper that has a face you have literally seen over and over again, especially if you have been led to believe that a clone soldier will never disobey those it has been raised to serve? The Jedi's complacency will be their downfall.

 **(Confederate Minister of Defense Pong Krell, speaking to Commander Asajj Ventress)**

Crystal City was an elegant and magnificent city, befitting the capital of a planet like Christophsis, but the invasion of General Loathsom and his droid army had changed the metropolis. All of the native Christophians who had remained neutral or loyal to the Republic had fled the war, were now behind enemy lines, or had perished. This left the Republican clone troopers and the Separatist battle droids as well as their commanding officers to do most of the work in fighting for control of a world that few, if any, among their number had ever set foot on before or had even heard of.

Now the one Jedi Master and three Jedi Knights leading the Republic's defense of Crystal City had set up an ambush. Obi-Wan and Chad were in charge of operations in the South Tower, while Anakin and Serra handled operations in the North Tower.

"Sirs, is it just me or do the streets look like they're made of glass panels?" asked Sixes, curious and trying to kill time.

Obi-Wan smiled. "That's because most modern roads are made of durable solar panels, Sixes," he explained. "In addition to providing a road that you could construct with ordinary materials, this technology both allows for easier maintenance since you can just remove a panel if need be and the generation of electricity."

Chad nodded. "Waste not, want not," said the younger man. "May as well kill two birds with one stone, Commander. Or an entire flock, if you can accomplish it."

"That's my kind of language, General Skywalker," Sixes replied as he grabbed a pair of binoculars before zooming in with them. "Eyes up, hostile formation sighted," reported the senior clone officer. "Looks like a mixture of armored vehicles and droids on foot."

"You heard him, boys," Cody ordered the other clones. "Buckets on, the clankers are on their way."

The troopers put their helmets on if they hadn't done so already, loaded and checked their blasters, and generally finalized their preparations for battle.

"Anakin, we're ready over here," Obi-Wan said into his comlink. "How are things for you and Serra?"

Trying to not smirk at the irony of asking how things were with his secret sister-in-law (not that his master knew), Anakin responded and said, "We were born ready, Master. I know one girl and a bunch of guys ready to give the Seps a nice pounding."

"Copy that, stand by to engage on my command."

The B1s, expected to keep marching straight as one large group, suddenly split into three. One-third kept moving forward, while the the remaining two-thirds split off from the Separatist formation.

"Sirs, they're splitting up," reported a clone sniper.

Immediately Obi-Wan knew something had gone wrong. "Bollocks," he cursed, a rare thing for him. "All troops, prepare for-."

The doors to one of the elevators opened, revealing a group of battle droids. The two clones on guard couldn't even fire off a single shot before being gunned down with ruthless efficiency by their mechanical enemies.

"Ambush!" Chad yelled as he ignited his lightsaber. "I repeat, we're under attack in the South Tower!"

Anakin grimaced as he saw a firefight erupt in the South Tower. "Hang on, bro," he said before tapping at his comlink. "This is Skywalker to Air, come in. Hawk, do you copy? Over."

"I copy, General Skywalker," said Hawk. "Go ahead, sir."

"Hawk, South Tower's under attack," Anakin explained. "I say again, we're under attack in the South Tower. Requesting immediate evac, over."

"Roger that, sir," replied the clone pilot. "The boys and I will be there before you know it, General. Over."

"Understood, be advised," warned Anakin. "The AO is hot, I say again, expect anti-air efforts by the Seps."

"South Tower?" said Commander Bruiser, confusion evident in his voice. "General Skywalker, we're in the North Tower."

"Not for long," Anakin replied before slicing at a window with his lightsaber then shattering it with the Force.

"Cables, now!" Serra ordered, understanding Anakin's plan.

"You heard the lady, boys!" Rex ordered. "Fire your cables, now!"

A few clone troopers fired cables at the South Tower. Though meant for vertical ascension, once they were secured the cables would suffice as improvised zip lines.

"Let's go!" Anakin yelled as he grabbed a cable and slid towards the South Tower.

Predictably, the droids on the street noticed the actions of their enemies. "Blast 'em!" a droid officer ordered.

Red particle bolts streaked through the air. One clone was hit in the neck and died rather quickly, while another trooper involuntarily lost his grip on his carbine and fell screaming to his death after being shot in his forearm.

Chad, cutting down a droid one moment and deflecting blaster fire the next, smiled grimly under his helmet once reinforcements arrived. "Good to see you guys made it!" he said.

"Same here!" his brother replied.

The droids, unable to deal with the Jedi-led counterattack, halted their advance if only temporarily. The clones and their Force-sensitive superiors did not stay to celebrate, instead choosing to head for the rooftop of the South Tower.

"Keto to Hawk, what's your ETA?" Serra inquired via radio. "Over."

"Just a few minutes, ma'am," said Hawk.

"Keep an eye out, we lost a few guys getting over from the North Tower to the South one," she warned. "If they can hit a trooper, they can probably hit a gunship."

"I'll keep that in mind, General Keto." What both officers knew but didn't bother to say was that Hawk was an excellent pilot and that a larty was no fighter, but in the hands of a skilled aviator like him it could give anyone without good anti-aircraft weapons a run for their money.

The droids stormed the rooftop soon after. Fortunately, the clone officers had predicted that would happen and thus had ordered their subordinates to take up fighting positions beforehand. As a result, the firefight that erupted was considerably less one-sided than the first one.

"Hawk, we're under attack on South Tower's rooftop!" Cody said into his comlink. "Say again, we're up on the South Tower rooftop and are under attack! Watch your fire, over!"

"Wilco, sir."

The tactical droid in charge of the attack, having learned that four Jedi (including high value targets like High General Obi-Wan Kenobi and his former Padawan, General Anakin Skywalker) were present, had decided that its personal intervention was appropriate in spite of the risk and thus came up the stairs with an escort of B1s in tow.

"Sergeant, have your squad target the closest Jedi," the automaton officer ordered.

"Roger, roger!" responded the less intelligent droids.

Serra was able to deflect the particle bolts back at the droids without much difficulty, but in truth their actions were only intended as a distraction. Aiming for her gut, the tactical droid opened fire.

"AGH!" Serra yelled, her chest stinging from the blaster round.

Feeling his wife's pain in the Force, an enraged Chad charged and decapitated the offending droid before destroying its subordinates using both the Force and his lightsaber. His actions, along with those of Obi-Wan and Anakin as well as the clones, forced the droids to relent their attack.

Serra was helped onboard Hawk's gunship by Chad and Bruiser. As the Republicans headed back to base, Anakin looked at the tactical droid head they had recovered from the rooftop.

"Maybe this clanker will tell us how they knew we had set up an ambush," he said.

Later Serra was in the medbay along with wounded soldiers while Anakin worked on decrypting the tactical droid's memory. Chad had offered to help, but he had turned down the offer so his brother could be with Serra. Besides, it's not as if Anakin necessarily needed his twin's help.

His efforts revealed that the Kerkoiden in charge of the invasion force, General Whorm Loathsom, had conversed with the tactical droid before sending it off to lead the attack. "Intel has revealed that there are Republicans are hiding in the North and South Towers, Level Forty-Six. You will have your infantry split into three groups-one will continue to march forward, one will storm the South Tower and attack the clones and Jedi there, and the other will secure the first floor of the North Tower and prevent the Republicans in that building from aiding their comrades in the South Tower. Since the skyway linking the Towers has been destroyed, they will not be able to cross over and save their fellow interlopers."

"As you wish, sir," said the droid. "Is there any reason why you want the South Tower attacked but not the North one? Also, General Loathsom, it may be a better option to simply destroy or at least fire upon the buildings unless their strategic value warrants taking them intact."

Loathsom sighed. "I would prefer destroying both of those buildings, yes," the Kerkoiden officer said. "Especially since these Republican cowards clearly intend to ambush us rather than properly fight. But I was ordered to use this plan, so these orders shall be followed. Clear?"

"Sir, yes, sir," replied the droid. "As you order, sir."

Anakin frowned just as Obi-Wan came in along with Cody, Rex, Sixes, and Bruiser. "General Loathsom and the tac droid knew about our plans," the young Jedi Knight said.

Obi-Wan frowned. "That would explain the ambush, but I doubt the Separatists just happened to exploited a weakness in our security. I don't like the idea of it, but it seems as though someone inside this base leaked intelligence to the enemy."

"A spy, sir?" asked Cody. "Who would sell us out to the Seps?"

"Yes, Commander," Obi-Wan answered. "As a result, I think a trip into hostile territory is called for. Perhaps Anakin and I can find the Separatist who has been receiving these leaked secrets. You four will stay here and find the security breach. Whatever happens, let no one know of our mission. This spy could be anyone, and even if you can trust someone, you'll just put them at risk by telling them the secret."

"We'll get right on it, sir," said Rex.

"Good. May the Force be with us all," stated Obi-Wan before he and Anakin left.

As the two Jedi left the room, Cody noticed an active comlink. "Someone left his comlink on," said the clone commander, alerting his three colleagues. "Someone has been listening to everything we say."

Rex, turning his head in an effort to see any infiltrators, noticed a figure start running. "Hey, stop!" Rex ordered.

The four clone officers chased after the mysterious figure. "Sixes, Bruiser and I'll keep following him!" ordered Cody as the spy turned around a corridor. "You and Rex take the west corridor!"

"On it!" replied both Sixes and Rex as the two ran down the other way. The two clones drew their sidearms and set them to stun, only to reunite with Cody and Bruiser just outside the mess hall.

"He must've gone into the mess hall," said Bruiser as he opened the door.

Walking in, the GAR officers found a number of their fellow clones but no other organics. "We've got a big problem," Sixes said, realizing that the security breach would be a lot harder to deal with.

"Yeah," said Rex. "The only people here, Commander Sixes, are brothers."

The quartet of officers returned to the command center, where they met General Chad Skywalker. "Something wrong, gentlemen?" he asked.

Sixes sighed before answering. "Sir, we have a traitor in our midst. It's probably how the Seps knew to attack the South Tower. Bastard left his comlink on here so he could listen in on us plus your brother and General Kenobi before fleeing to the mess hall. Everyone there was either a clone or one of our droids, which narrows the list of suspects pretty severely."

"Better raise Anakin and let him know that he and Obi-Wan are walking into a trap, then," said Chad before he tapped at a comm station. "This is Chad to Anakin, come in. Do you copy, over?"

Chad repeated his attempt to contact his brother a few times before R2 informed him that their transmissions were being jammed by the Separatists. Chad cursed to himself before asking Anakin's astromech unit to help find the infiltrator, knowing that the traitor had to have leaked the information the Seps received somehow. Though Chad was at most a deist when it came to religion and spirituality, he silently prayed for the safety of Anakin and Obi-Wan.

 _Serra'll make a full recovery...I just hope my brother and his former master make it back and don't die in some Sep trap..._

"What you got, R-Two?" asked Rex after the droid beeped triumphantly.

 _I've noticed a pattern,_ the astromech answered in droidspeak. _It appears these messages are being sent out on an irregular basis, not a daily one, reducing the odds of anyone not searching for the transmissions noticing anything out of the ordinary. However, I've traced these signals to the computer in the barracks of First Squad, Second Platoon, Ghost Company._

"That's Slick's squad," Cody said. "Only his guys would have access to that terminal."

"Yeah, Slick's not gonna like that," Rex said. "But we need to find this guy before he gets more of our own killed."

The five officers left the command center and headed for the barracks of Slick's unit, only for Chad to break off, saying he had sensed something in the Force. After the four clones made it to the barracks, Slick had protested the idea of one of his men being the traitor until five of his subordinates walked into the room.

"Alright, take a seat, gentlemen," Cody announced. "We have a turncoat in our midst, and we think it's one of you."

Jester, the first trooper they questioned, was visibly nervous. "I did what I normally do after a mission, sirs," he said.

"Like what?" asked Cody.

"I'm sorry, Commander. It's just that you're my CO, so I'm a little nervous."

Rex shook his head but looked Jester in the eye. "The way I see it, soldier, if you tell the truth, you've got nothing to be nervous about."

Another trooper spoke up. "Sir, Jester did what he always does after an op," he said. "He cleaned his weapon, just like he always does. Kind of obsessed that way, but complacency kills."

"Show us your weapon, kid," ordered Bruiser.

Soon Sixes had Jester's carbine in his hand. "If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought this blaster just rolled off the assembly line," he said. "Good job, Jester. Do anything on the computer while you were in here?"

Jester: "No, sir. I didn't even power it up, you can check if you want."

The quartet promptly interrogated a pair of clones named Punch and Sketch next, who told them that they had gone to the mess hall together. Another trooper, Gus, said he had been wounded during the ambush at the South Tower, saying that the medbay records could back him up. Finally, the clone officers were left with the only one of Slick's men who they hadn't questioned yet-Chopper, a trooper who was noted to have discipline problems but had not been court-martialed both due to his skills and the fact that a war was going on.

"Alright, trooper," Cody said to Chopper. "What's your alibi?"

"I was in the mess hall, like everyone else."

"No you weren't!" exclaimed Jester. "I mean, you-."

Rex: "If you know something, trooper, you should speak up."

Jester nodded and said, "Chopper came in a lot later than everyone else in the squad."

Chopper immediately stood up. "You Blue Falcon-."

"-down, trooper," Sixes ordered, his tone indicating he wouldn't tolerate disobedience from Chopper.

The inquiry proceeded further, revealing that Chopper had been hiding near the south exit in order to stitch together battle droid fingers in private.

Slick shook his head. "This isn't good, Chopper," he said. "Lying about where you were? Taking forbidden items from a battlefield? I put up with your attitude because of your skills, but dishonesty and disregard of regulations tells me your whole character's in question."

"Hang on!" Chopper protested. "I'm no spy!"

"Easy, Chopper," said Slick. "Don't worry, you'll get a proper investigation as soon as the Jedi get back. After all, Kenobi is-."

"-wait a minute, Slick," Cody cut in. "How did you know General Kenobi was gone?"

Slick frowned before cursing under his breath in _Mando'a_. "I really wish you hadn't noticed that, sir," he said before punching Cody in the face and hitting Chopper with his gauntleted forearm. The treacherous NCO then tried to flee out the door, only to suddenly be lifted off his feet before he could get far.

"What the hell?!" Slick snarled.

Chad walked in, revealing himself to be the one who had captured Slick.

"Hello, Sergeant," the dark-haired Jedi Knight said in a low, menacing tone. "I figure anyone running out of the barracks would be the Sep spy. Am I correct, boys?"

"Yes, sir," answered Chopper. "He attacked me and Commander Cody, General Skywalker. It looks like we've found the traitor."

"Oh, good," Chad said before slamming Slick into the wall, knocking him out. "That was for all the troopers you got killed and Serra, you son of a bitch."

 ***CUT TO: ABANDONED SKYSCRAPER, CRYSTAL CITY, CHRISTOPHSIS***

"Hmm..." Anakin said. "If it wasn't for the lack of guards and defenses, or the fact that we hadn't been so much as shot at once on our way over here, I'd assume that we're walking into a trap."

Obi-Wan nodded. "We probably are," he said. "But we'll have to spring this trap."

The two entered the building, encountering a pale-skinned Near-Human both would have preferred to forget.

"Ventress," Anakin said.

"Did you two miss me?" taunted the bald woman. "How is your face feeling nowadays, Padawan Skywalker?"

"It's _Master_ Skywalker now, Ventress," corrected the Jedi Knight. "How are your ribs? I hear Chad broke a few when he made you his bitch back on Jabiim."

Ventress snarled, unhappy at the crack Anakin had made at her expense. "They're feeling just fine, Skywalker. But no matter-my loyal informant let me know you two were coming."

Lightsaber blades ignited and the three Force-sensitive warriors engaged in a duel.

 ***CUT TO: _SHEATHIPEDE_ -CLASS TRANSPORT SHUTTLE ABOVE CRYSTAL CITY, CHRISTOPHSIS***

The Confederate operative who had been nicknamed "Quiet" by her superiors for her somewhat reserved personality readied her weapons and equipment, as did the BX-series commando droids under her command.

"All right, everyone," she said. "Our objective is to do as much damage to the Republic's FOB as possible. One target of opportunity, as you all know, is Jedi General Serra Keto. She was wounded earlier today during the attack on the South Tower. If we can assassinate her, the Republic will have one less Jedi Knight to attack the Confederacy with. All other patients are to be left unharmed unless they attack. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Captain," said the droids.

"Good, now let's get our engine packs on."

The engine packs in question would be used to slow down the Confederates after they jumped out of the shuttle. After landing on the rooftop on the Republic base, the special operations unit would set charges, blow a way in, then fire off a flare into the air to signal their allies on the ground.

"Captain, we are one minute out," said one of the pilots. "Slowing down now."

"Copy that."

The shuttle slowed to a halt, holding itself aloft via its repulsorlifts. After confirming the shuttle was in the proper position, the pilots opened the door and let the commandos and their organic superior jump out.

The Republic had not been expecting an airborne attack from their enemies, and thus were surprised by the appearance of the descending Confederates (especially since the shuttle they had jumped out of was a modified one that had stealth technology). Alarms began to blare, announcing the presence of Quiet and her unit.

In response, Quiet pulled out a flare gun and fired it. Seeing their signal, a number of Christophian Confederates began to attack the base, hoping to tie up and distract the Republican defenders as the commandos entered the base.

 ***CUT TO: MEDBAY, GAR FOB, CRYSTAL CITY, CHRISTOPHSIS***

Serra may have been sent to the medbay to heal and rest, but that didn't stop her from questioning the two clones who entered the medbay.

"Troopers, what's going on?" she asked.

"We're here to protect you and the other patients, ma'am," answered one of the troopers. "The base is under attack, so General Skywalker wants everyone safe and secure. After Jabiim, we can't expect the Seps to-."

The door opened and a flashbang was tossed in, disorienting the two troopers. Serra cringed; clone helmets provided protection against stun grenades, but the Separatists had responded by pouring more credits into research-and-development.

The two clone troopers were cut down before they could recover, and a group of battle droids entered the room, weapons at the ready. They resembled ordinary B1s, only with differently shaped heads, white photoreceptors, and a darker paint job.

 _Shit, these clankers must be some Spec Ops model..._ Serra thought.

"Target Keto sighted," said one of the droids, aiming at her.

"Hold your fire, Lieutenant," said a helmeted women wearing a camouflage uniform as she entered the medbay. "I'll do it myself. Leave two droids here with me, take the others and continue to wreak havoc."

 _Big mistake, bitch._

"Roger, roger."

"What, got a taste for blood?" Serra said, taunting the Separatist in an effort to buy time as the majority of the droids left.

The woman dropped her rifle, letting it dangle from its sling, then drew a suppressed slugthrower pistol. "If you're going to kill someone, Jedi," she said, "you should do it yourself if possible. I would prefer granting you an honorable death in combat rather than executing you here and now, but orders are orders. Just stay still and I will make your demise as quick and painless as possible. Any last-."

Serra used the Force to crush the barrel of the woman's pistol with one hand and used the other to get a grip on the Sep's E-5 blaster rifle and yank it away from her.

The Sep's eyes widened, clearly having not expected those actions on Serra's part. "Shoot her!" she ordered.

"Yes, Captain!" the droids responded, turning to aim at Serra. However, it was too little, too late, for Serra had seized grips on their guns as well and yanked them away. The droids drew vibroswords from their backs and charged, only to be Force-pushed into the wall. Serra then seized their necks with the Force and clenched her fists, finally neutralizing the droids.

Now Serra aimed the rifle she had stolen from the Sep officer at her, who had not gone for any of the weapons she had stolen (probably to avoid being killed). "Get down on your knees and keep your hands empty and visible at all times," the Jedi Knight ordered. "Do this and you might just spend the rest of your life locked up for treason and conspiracy to murder a Republic officer instead of getting the death penalty for your crimes."

The woman shook her head. "I am an officer of the Confederate Defense Force, I have sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the Confederacy of Independent Systems against all enemies, foreign and domestic," she said. "I will not-."

Another patient, an injured clone trooper, threw a bottle at the Sep. Serra then shot the operative in the chest, knocking the woman to her knees and setting her on fire. The Sep didn't scream at first and even tried to get back on her feet, but another bottle hit her and she broke down. As the woman hit the floor and tried to smother the flames, a GH-7 medical droid grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed the contents onto the Separatist, putting out the fire. How she hadn't died immediately from being shot and then set on fire immediately afterwards, Serra would never know.

"Didn't want her to set anyone or anything else on fire?" Serra asked the droid.

"That and a patient is a patient, General Keto," answered the GH-7. "Political allegiance is not a prerequisite for treatment."

"If you say so," she replied, though Serra did admit to herself that even if the badly-burned Separatist was her enemy, death by fire was a horrible way to go.

Rex showed up along with a squad in tow. "General Keto, are you alright?" asked the Captain.

"I'm fine, Rex, thank you," she answered. "Both of the troopers General Skywalker sent are down, some high-end battle droids killed them."

"Figures, but still a damn shame, ma'am," Rex said. "I'll rejoin the rest of Torrent Company and help clear the base, Sergeant Hez and his squad will stay here to protect you and the other patients."

 ***CUT TO: DETENTION CENTER, GAR FOB, CRYSTAL CITY, CHRISTOPHSIS***

"Slick?" Obi-Wan asked. "It was you?"

The imprisoned Sergeant glowered into his General's face-if hateful looks could kill, the Jedi Council member would be lying dead on the floor. "Yes, _I_ was the one who supplied the Confederacy with your plans," Slick said. "I was the one who realized that my brothers and I are slaves of the Republic and that you Jedi scum serve as our overseers. My handler offered me money, but I was after something much better-freedom! Freedom for myself and all clones!"

Anakin shook his head. "You're delusional, Slick," said the young Jedi Knight. "Your actions just led to unnecessary casualties, including more than a few deaths, for your brothers. Frankly, given how you've committed both treason and espionage I'm gonna be surprised if you don't end up facing a firing squad."

"I love my brothers!" snarled Slick. "You're the worst of all the Jedi, Skywalker! I heard you were a slave once, yet you're now a slaver!"

Only Obi-Wan getting between Anakin and Slick stopped the former from punching the latter in the face. "That's enough, Slick. Guards, take him back to his cell."

Before Slick could get back to his cell, he was confronted by Serra. "What is it, bitch?" he asked.

Serra kneed him in the groin. "That was for all my guys that ended up dead because of you and getting me shot, traitor," she snarled.

Slick groaned in pain. "Fuck you," he said.

"Get in line, asshole."

 **ME: Anakin and Chad both being Generals would make it awkward if they were both in the same room and someone said, "General Skywalker" and it wasn't clear who he or she was referring to.**

 **Serra was wounded because her husband, brother-in-law, and Obi-Wan have all been harmed in some way and I figured it was time for her turn, plus give Chad a reason to be extra pissed**

 **As you can see, Talking Isn't a Free Action. At least the second time, it's not like Quiet could have pulled a knife or anything without getting shot. If you guys haven't already guessed, she was wearing a tactical vest under her shirt (having done so so it wouldn't interfere with her camouflage), explain how she didn't die from being both shot and set on fire.**

 **Sorry for taking so long, I've had stuff to deal with in life. I wonder if maybe I should focus on TFM for a while rather than my normal style of writing for TECD one update then TFM the next. Apologies in advance for any further delays, I've been trying to catch up on Legends stuff and whatnot, including KOTOR. BTW, I will be going on vacation from August 7 to August 14, so I won't be able to post anything during that time period.**


	36. Master-Padawan Introductions

**ME: Now time to get back to the Battle of Christophsis. This one is dedicated to the victims of 9/11. 2,977 people died fifteen years ago-may their deaths never be forgotten.**

If we can save Jabba's son, we can save our troops. The gratitude of Jabba will grant us access to the Hutt Cartel's hyperlanes, easing the flow of units and supplies into the Outer Rim. Too many of our clone soldiers and Jedi guardians have died in the fight against the Separatists, Master Windu. To not do whatever we need to do to win this war and restore peace would be more than wasting their sacrifices; it would be spitting on their corpses.

 **(Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, speaking to Jedi Master Mace Windu)**

Serra had recovered fairly quickly, all things considered. Over the course of a few days, the Sep droids and their Christophian allies had been defeated, either eliminated or forced to retreat.

Of course, even with bacta therapy it was likely that a scar would be left, and Obi-Wan had mandated that the younger Jedi take it easy. Serra wasn't the type to sit on her ass while her men were in danger, but Bruiser had assured her that the 187th would be fine in her absence and had tactfully pointed out that the fact she had been wounded was no secret amongst their subordinates and they would be feel obligated to protect Serra as a result.

So she had stayed off the frontline and now was trying to relax at a battalion aid station, going over a casualty report on her datapad. The 187th Legion had sustained minimal losses, all things considered, but they still stung and what was more damning was that Slick turning traitor and leaking information to the CIS had undoubtedly led to some of the KIAs on her list.

 _I hope he gets sentenced to death,_ Serra thought darkly. _I could care less about getting shot, that bastard got some of my troopers killed. For that, I will never forgive him._

"Greetings, General Keto," said Senator Organa, who had not evacuated Christophsis yet in order to set an example, as he strode into the BAS. Serra thought it was gutsy, if not exactly the most logical choice for a politician like him to make. "You seem bulkier than when I last saw you. Have you been exercising more?"

Serra shook her head and tapped her chest with a fist. "I'm wearing a chest plate now, Senator Organa," she said. "I got shot in the gut, so I figured I should do a better job of protecting myself." The young woman neglected to mention that the chest plate had come once belonged to a dead clone who had been decapitated by droid shrapnel; she doubted the Senator wanted to know the details.

"Sorry to hear about that, Master Jedi," replied Organa. "Troopers, how are you feeling?"

One injured trooper, who Serra knew to be Ged from Torrent Company, smiled. "Fine, sir. I got droid fragments in my shoulder, but Sergeant Coric here has assured me I'll live."

"C'mon, Ged," called another trooper. "It's just a shrapnel wound and this is a BAS, no way you'd-."

Serra, feeling easy, got to her feet just as an artillery shell slammed into the ground and detonated.

"Incoming!" someone shouted.

"Shit," Serra cursed. "Weapons ready, everyone!"

She ran outside and ignited her green lightsaber blades as a second explosion went off while Organa's security detail rushed him to the rear. Already Serra's earpiece was full of chatter as the Republican defenders responded to the unexpected Separatist attack.

"They're back!" Anakin yelled as she reunited with him, Chad, and Obi-Wan.

"I told you they caved too fast given the circumstances, Anakin," said Obi-Wan. "The fact we can't contact anyone on Coruscant or even in orbit isn't helping."

"I wasn't the one who came up with the idea of sending _Hunter_ back for supplies, _Master_ ," Anakin shot back.

"We don't have time for this!" Chad cut in. "We got clankers to deal with!"

"Rex, take a platoon and follow me!" Anakin ordered. "Have everyone else stay here and help with the defense."

"Serra, you and Bruiser protect the left flank," Obi-Wan told her. "Chad, have your troops protect the right. We can't afford to be caught off guard like last time, got it?"

"Got it!" replied the two Jedi Knights.

The droids marched forward, but the poor tactics of the machines did not change the fact that they had numbers on their side. So all Serra and her soldiers could do was hold them off while Anakin, Rex, and the Torrent Company platoon that was with them got into position.

 _Probably setting up some kind of ambush,_ Serra reflected as she deflected blaster bolts. _I just hope they get to it soon._

Suddenly one of the 501st troopers fighting with her and the 187th yelled, "It's Skywalker! He's launched his attack!"

Surely enough, Anakin had somehow landed on top of one of the tri-droids and attacked it. Rex and his subordinates launched their own attack soon after, leading to all three of the mechanical behemoths being destroyed.

"Serra, Chad, have your troops hit the droids from the flanks!" Obi-Wan ordered. "Anakin's just given us an opening!"

The young Jedi passed down the order to their subordinates in the 182nd and 187th. While none of the troopers charged at the droids, both to avoid getting gunned down in the process and to avoid being hit by any of Obi-Wan and Cody's troopers, they did move into position to attack while taking steps to avoid friendly fire. Between them, their Jedi Generals, and their fellow clones the droids were eventually wiped out.

"Keto to Control, come in," Serra said into her comlink. "Be advised: We have multiple wounded, I say again, multiple WIAs. Do you copy, over?"

"Copy that, General Keto," replied Control. "Thanks for the info, ma'am. We'll get everyone prepped for the casualties, over."

Fortunately, just as she heard the distinctive report of a _Nu_ -class shuttle, the droids closest to the Republicans turned around and began a swift retreat.

"Yeah!" one of the clones cheered. "Run, you tinnies! Run! Maybe that'll keep us from turning you into scrap metal!"

Serra smiled as the shuttle came into view. "Looks like Coruscant heard our requests for help."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan replied. "Who knows, maybe my new Padawan is aboard as well."

Anakin frowned. "Wait, you were serious when you said you put in a request for a new Padawan, Master?" he asked.

Obi-Wan nodded as the four Jedi walked. "Of course. Knights and Masters alike have a duty to pass on what they know to the next generation of Jedi. You should ask Master Yoda for a Padawan, Anakin. In fact, I recommended you be assigned one."

Anakin instantly shook his head. "I don't have time to babysit, Obi-Wan," he responded. "A Padawan would just slow me down. Maybe a few years from now or if we win this damn war I'll take an apprentice. But right here, right now? No way."

The shuttle landed, and the ramp lowered. To the disappointment of the clones watching, no fresh troopers disembarked, but at least as a consolation a few loads of supplies were offloaded.

The only two sentients who walked down the ramp were a pair of Togruta females who looked to be in their teens. One had orange skin and blue eyes and was dressed in a tube top, mini skirt, and leggings, while the other had red skin and light blue eyes and wore more conservative, traditional Jedi attire.

Chad's eyes widened. "What are you two kids doing here?" he asked. "Did the Council never get our requests for reinforcements and supplies?"

One of the Togrutas drew herself up to her full height and spoke up. "Master Yoda said no one here was replying to the communiques he sent, so he sent us to deliver his message. He said it was an emergency."

"Funny," Anakin said, "we have an emergency of our own right now. It's called a battle, youngling."

"Well, Master Skywalker," said the second Togruta, who had a Core Worlds accent, "maybe one of the ships in orbit can help transmit a signal back to the Jedi Temple."

"Who are you guys, anyway?" asked Serra.

"My name's Ahsoka Tano, Master Keto," said the first Togruta. "This is my cousin, Raana. We're both Padawans."

Obi-Wan smiled as if it was his birthday and he had received a gift he had wanted and would appreciate for years. "Ah, so one of you must be my new student," he said. "Welcome to Christophsis. I'm sorry both of you had to arrive at such an unpleasant time."

Ahsoka: "I'm sorry, Master Kenobi, but I'm not _your_ Padawan." She then turned to Anakin and bowed her head. "I'm _yours_ , Master Skywalker."

Chad looked Raana in the eye as best as he could given their height difference. "Lemme guess... _you're_ _my_ Padawan, then?"

"Affirmative, Master Skywalker," Raana said in a respectful tone as she bowed. "It is an honor to meet you."

"Well..." Serra chuckled, in spite of the odds the Republicans were up against. "I wonder if _I'm_ gonna get a Padawan now."

 **ME: I don't know whether or not to give Serra a Padawan, but right now I'm currently against it. I hope this chapter was alright.**

 **I will admit that I consulted Karen Traviss's The Clone Wars novel when writing this chapter.**

 **One idea I have in mind is that the special missions assault troops (the ground troops who fought in Ranulph Tarkin's ORSF; apparently several battalions** **were loaned to Ranulph by sympathetic Judicials, which doesn't paint a positive picture of the Republic's government) end up becoming the Republic Marine Corps. After all, I read in The Essential Guide to Warfare that apparently the Judicial Forces were supposed to be more of a rapid response force, with defense being a responsibility of the Planetary Security Forces. Plus apparently the clones from the microseries that helped Saesee Tiin take over a ship were Marines, and as a civilian defense academic I feel like SW could use Marines, even if it's a Space Opera rather than military science-fiction.**


	37. Battle for Christophsis

**ME: Sorry for taking so long, guys. I've been busy with college and shit. Thankfully, Rebels continues to impress. Expect delays from here on out, ladies and gents. Inspired heavily by Karen Traviss's The Clone Wars novel.**

Most combatants are young males, true. But never underestimate someone because of their age, build, or gender, soldiers. Hell, while you may face uniformed opponents, don't expect your enemies to be above disguising themselves as civilians. Treat anyone you don't know as hostile until proven otherwise.

 **(Sergeant Kal Skirata, instructing clone commandos on Kamino)**

Neither Anakin nor Chad expected to be assigned Padawans, but Anakin was undoubtedly reacting more negatively to it.

"A Padawan, sir?" Rex asked, confused. "I thought you said you'd never have one, General."

"Yeah, well, obviously whoever sent the kids here didn't check to see if I had requested a learner, Rex," replied Anakin. "Jedi SOP is for a Knight or Master to talk about it before being assigned a Padawan."

While Anakin was an exception to the rules since he had been taken in as a young boy rather than an infant, that was one thing. It was quite another to simply drop two Padawans on a pair of Jedi Generals on the frontlines who had no idea what to do with them.

Ahsoka somehow had the audacity to shake her head. "Hey, come on, Skyguy, I'm still here and officially your Padawan."

"Skguy?" Serra and Chad chuckled simultaneously. Rex and a few other clone officers laughed as well, and even Ahsoka's cousin Raana blushed in amusement.

" _Skyguy?_ " said Anakin, irritated at her snippiness. "I suggest you take that back, youngling."

" _Padawan!_ "

"You and Raana don't even look old enough to become Padawans, so I don't know why you're complaining."

Ahsoka: "I'm fourteen and Raana's thirteen, so we aren't younglings, Skyguy."

Before Anakin could reprimand her, Rex cracked a smile. "Most of the men and I are ten, Padawan Tano," he commented. "But we're all tall for our age. Maybe it's the same for you and your cousin."

Obi-Wan stepped into the room. "The Separatist fleet is sending ships to the surface," he said. "Without Admiral Yularen to run interference, we'll have to deal with their reinforcements and increased air support on our own. It's a good thing they want this city intact, otherwise they'd have withdrawn their ground forces and commenced orbital bombardment. A chemical attack is a possibility, but with clone gear it'd be more of a danger to their own organics."

"They'll try to land their new droids out of range," pointed out Chad. "It's what I'd do, and the Seps here seem to be clever enough to at least try something like that. Remember that stunt they pulled when Slick was their man on the inside."

"Slick?" Ahsoka asked.

"A traitor within the ranks," Anakin answered, suddenly gaining an idea of how to deal with her. "Rex, why don't you take Ahsoka to observe the enemy? Don't get in close, just use your binocs."

"Yes, sir," Rex replied as he checked his weapons and beckoned to Ahsoka.

"You wanna go with them, Raana?" Chad asked.

The younger Togruta Padawan shook her head. "Thank you, Master Skywalker, but I think I can do more good here learning the ropes, as some would say. Stay safe, Ahsoka."

"I will, Raana," responded Ahsoka as she left with Rex.

Obi-Wan frowned. "Looks like you two are having a rough start," he told Anakin.

"This isn't a game, Obi-Wan," he replied. "Out here, a single mistake can and will get people killed."

"At least try to cut her some slack. You were a Padawan yourself once; I suggest you keep that fact in mind."

Anakin grabbed a comlink. "I've got some maintenance to do."

Chad knew it was his brother's way of getting privacy, and he didn't pester him about it. The troops did not need to have their morale ruined by the sight of a General who wasn't able to deal with his problems, so he let Anakin leave to blow off steam.

"Welcome to the One Hundred and Eighty-Second, Raana," Chad said. "This is Sixes, my legion's top commander."

Raana shook hands with Sixes politely. "It is an honor to meet you, Commander Sixes," she said.

Sixes nodded. "Honor's all mine, Commander Tano," replied the Commander.

"I'm in charge of the One Hundred and Eighty-Seventh Legion, Raana," said Serra. "This is my second-in-command, Bruiser."

After introductions were complete, a Lieutenant ran into the room. "Generals, we've detected an increasing thermal signature behind Sep lines," the junior officer informed them.

Serra tapped her comlink, hearing a clone sniper report in as she did. "It appears that the Seps have activated an energy shield. I say again, the Seps have activated an energy shield."

 _Well, stang._

Soon the Jedi Generals and their top clone subordinates reunited. "The energy shield that the Separatists have activated is expanding to cover their advance," Obi-Wan began the briefing. "Scans indicate that artillery fire will have little effect on its strength, so we may as well conserve ammunition."

Chad frowned. "Only way we stand a chance is to draw the clankers into buildings, at least somewhat negating their numerical advantage. But that won't stop them from getting to our cannons and blowing every last one to hell."

Ahsoka spoke up. "What if we went behind enemy lines in order to destroy the shield generator? That could work."

Anakin frowned and shook his head. "We don't have time to go around the droids-," he began, before stopping. "Wait, that gives me an idea. If we survive this, Snips, you and I are gonna have a nice long chat."

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. " _Snips?_ "

"Hey, you were the one who thought _Skyguy_ wasa good nickname for me," retorted Anakin. "Plus you're snippy, so _Snips_ is a perfect nickname for you." He then turned to Obi-Wan. "Master, I think Ahsoka and I can knock out the generator, but I need you and the others to tie up the Seps."

The Jedi Master sighed. "I hope whatever you have planned works, Anakin," the auburn-haired man said. "But time is of the essence and I see no other options. May the Force be with you and your new apprentice."

"The Force really needs to look out for all of us right now," Anakin replied. "But thank you, Obi-Wan."

The Jedi and clone officers went their separate ways. Anakin took Ahsoka to find and destroy the Sep shield generator, while Obi-Wan, Chad, Serra, Raana, and the clones went to confront the advancing droids.

In order to make things look convincing, Obi-Wan ordered the artillery to fire on the shield before withdrawing. Meanwhile the clone troopers readied their blasters and other weapons in order to stage an ambush.

Once the expanding energy shield had passed over the Republican troops, Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and leapt into battle, blue blade ready to turn tinnies into nothing more than low-priced scrap.

The troopers opened fire the moment their CO got the attention of their mechanical enemies, particle bolts, grenades, rockets, and missiles flying towards the enemy ranks. Droids were cut down while tanks were destroyed.

However, the Separatists were not content to simply accept the fury of their enemies. They fired back at the Republicans, killing a number of clones.

"Stand fast, troopers!" Raana shouted as she fought alongside her new master. "The Force fights with us!"

Rex was able to take down a super battle droid as Raana shouted her words of encouragement, but as a consequence his rifle's power pack was drained. Deciding he didn't have time to reload, the Captain drew his sidearms and opened fire.

 _Gotta buy time for the General and the youngling..._

"What the kriff is that?!"

An unfamiliar battle droid had appeared. The damn clanker resembled a B2, but slightly more than twice as tall, bulkier, and more heavily armed. Raising its two primary arms, the droid spat fire from a flamethrower on its right arm and opened fire with the plasma cannon mounted on the left one while a pair of secondary limbs spat particle bolts.

"Ultra!" a clone screamed before taking a plasma round to the head.

"Popper out!" yelled Bruiser as he threw an EMP grenade, commonly known as a "droid popper," at the ultra.

The droid popper went off. The blast knocked out a pair of B2s and several B1s, but the ultra battle droid was only briefly stunned before it resumed firing.

"They must've EMP-hardened the damn thing!" Serra snarled. "Anyone have a rocket launcher?!"

One clone with a grenade launcher attached to his rifle aimed at the mechanical behemoth before pulling the trigger. The grenade hit the droid right in the midsection, destroying one of the ultra's blasters but otherwise causing superficial damage.

Obi-Wan and Chad tried to knock the droid over with a Force-push, but it stayed in place. "Why isn't this thing moving?!" yelled Chad in frustration.

"Could be using some kind of density projector, boss!" Sixes suggested as he fired on the ultra. "Some buddy of mine from Intel told me the Seps were working on them!"

" _Nothing_ is invincible," Obi-Wan said. Seizing a grip on a piece of masonry with the Force, he hurled it at the remaining secondary arm of the ultra, succeeding in tearing it off as a result. "This droid will simply prove a more difficult threat than our usual adversaries."

"I have an idea!" said Serra. "Chad, you and Obi-Wan distract the droid and get it to turn around. Bruiser, get a popper ready. Raana, stay with me."

"Thank you, Serra," Obi-Wan replied. Privately, he had his doubts as to whether Serra's plan would work or not, especially since it involved an EMP grenade (which had proven ineffective against the ultra battle droid), or even if she had a plan, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "Follow me, Chad."

The two Jedi Knights charged at the ultra battle droid and succeeded in gaining its attention. Internally designating the two men as priority targets, the ultra shot plasma and fire at Obi-Wan and Chad, forcing the two to deflect and block.

As soon as the four-meter tall droid had turned its back on the majority of the Republicans, Serra gave the order. "Now, Bruiser!"

Her XO threw the EMP grenade at the droid, Serra using the Force to get it to stop precisely where she needed it to be.

Just as the grenade went off, Serra picked up a pair of super battle droids that had been shot down by the clones and threw them at the distracted ultra. Simple physics resulted in the bigger droid being knocked down by the wreckage.

"Good job, Master Keto!" complimented Raana as she deflected blaster bolts away from herself and Serra.

"It wasn't that complicated of a plan, kid," responded Serra as Chad picked up one of the B2s before slamming it into the ultra as it tried to get up then stabbing downwards into the droid with his lightsaber. "But thanks for the compliment, now let's-."

A series of explosions cut Serra off. Multiple clones were killed, Chad had been knocked to the ground, and now there were more Sep vehicles and droids on their way.

"Fierfek!" cursed Serra as she fought her way to Chad with Raana. "Master Kenobi, looks like now would be a good time to pull back!"

"Indeed," Obi-Wan replied as two clones hauled Chad's unconscious form to safety. "Cody, call the retreat. Serra, you're in charge of the withdraw. I'm staying here."

The young Jedi Knight widened her eyes. "With all due respect, Master Kenobi, I've never left anyone behind, and I don't plan to start with you!"

"I know, Serra, and for that, I admire you." Then Obi-Wan shook his head and said, "But that doesn't change the fact that you're the only Jedi Knight available right now and someone needs to supervise the clones as they fall back. Chad and I trusted you, Serra, now you'll have to trust me."

"But-."

"JUST GO!" he interrupted, uncharacteristically loud. "That's an order!"

Hoping there was a method to Obi-Wan's madness, Serra obeyed and fell back with Raana and the clones. The Togruta teenager looked at her with a mix of awe and dismay, the latter probably due to the fact that she had just witnessed a newly-minted Jedi Knight arguing with a Council member.

Eventually the Republican troops made it to the line established to defend the artillery. Chad had regained consciousness, and alongside Serra and Raana deflected blaster bolts while their clone subordinates returned fire.

Suddenly the droids ceased fire. Raana, both frightened and exhilarated by her first experience of war, didn't know what was more unsettling-how the Separatist automatons had all stopped shooting virtually simultaneously, or the fact that they had ceased to fire their weapons in the first place.

 _They have numbers and firepower on their side,_ she thought. _Why delay finishing us all off if there's no advantage to doing so?_

"Republican dogs, surrender!" yelled a Kerkoiden officer. "Your General Kenobi has been captured and is even now discussing terms with General Loathsom! Voluntarily surrender your weapons to us now and you will be treated better than if you wait and have to be ordered by Kenobi to stand down."

Raana immediately turned to Master Skywalker. "That's impossible, Master!" she said. "I don't think Master Kenobi would being talking about terms of surrender while we were still fighting!"

Beneath his helmet, Chad smiled for the first time since the Battle of Christophsis had begun once again in the streets of Crystal City. "Actually, Raana," he said, "I have a _good_ feeling about this."

Serra, in spite of the odds being stacked against the Republicans, snorted. "Well, _that's_ not something I've heard before."

A tense minute passed, with the droids and clones keeping a tight grip on their rifles "Don't think you can win here, _Jedi!_ " sneered the Kerkoiden. "You have been abandoned by your insignificant fleet, your so-called leadership on Coruscant have left you and your test-tube abominations to die while the Galactic Senate intoxicates itself with Alderaanian wine. Do you really-."

Suddenly there was an explosion in the distance that indicated the success of Anakin and Ahsoka. Without a generator to supply energy to it, the Separatist shield disappeared.

The Kerkoiden officer's mouthed dropped open. "What?! Imposs-."

A particle bolt hit him in the neck, killing the Separatist commander quickly.

Chad opened a channel. "Gunners?" he said. " _Let 'em have it!_ "

The clones manning the artillery pieces were distressed at being unable to aid their brothers in the infantry and armored units as they bled and died to fend off the Separatists. Now they had an opportunity to make up for lost time, and it showed in their actions. Now droid and Separatist armored vehicle alike were destroyed by Republican artillery fire.

Just as suddenly as they had ceased firing earlier, what droids were in view shutdown. Seconds later, Chad was hailed via comlink.

"Chad, this is Master Kenobi," the older man said. "Do you copy, over?"

"Yes, Master Kenobi," replied Chad, happy to hear the voice of his brother's mentor. "I copy, go ahead."

"I was able to capture General Loathsom and force him to initiate a shutdown of the droids and order his organic subordinates to surrender. With any luck, we'll have the city under control within an hour."

Vulture and Hyena droids streaked into the air, only to be engaged by V-19s. LAAT gunships flew in unmolested, undoubtedly carrying both fresh troops and vehicles.

"This is Commander Tarkin of GRS _Tenacious_ to ground forces, come in," said a voice with an Eriaduan accent. "Does anyone copy, over?"

Serra answered Tarkin's hail. "Commander, this is General Serra Keto," she said. "I copy, send traffic. Over."

"General Keto, the Separatist blockade has been broken. Repeat, we've broken the blockade. As a result, Tenacious is available to provide fire support. How copy?"

Serra: "Solid copy, Commander Tarkin. I'll pass on the good news to the boys and get them to start sending targeting data up to the fleet. Be advised: We have taken heavy casualties, say again, we have multipled wounded. Requesting casevac, over."

"Understood, General Keto. I will inform air support of your predicament. Tarkin out."

With the majority of their droids shutdown, the Separatist presence on Crystal City had no chance of victory. While those who refused to surrender themselves to the Republican reinforcements were able to inflict casualties, they only succeeded in delaying the inevitable. Within half an hour the capital of Christophsis had been secured.

Remarkably enough, Master Yoda himself had arrived with messages for the Jedi on Christophsis. Anakin and Ahsoka had been assigned to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son, Rotta, as he was being held captive on Teth. Obi-Wan, befitting his experience and skills, would go to Tatooine in order to negotiate with Jabba. Finally, Chad, Serra, and Raana were tasked with escorting two important POWs to Coruscant.

 ***CUT TO: _NU_ -CLASS SHUTTLE APPROACHING CRYSTAL CITY, CHRISTOPHSIS***

Ordo was one of six Null-class Advanced Recon Commandos, and thus was used to being assigned missions that wouldn't be given to a commando squad or even an Alpha ARC. An elite operative, he thought that Palpatine and Zey (the new Director of Republic Special Forces after Camas had karked up with the Nulls) would task him with something that he or his brothers would consider "soft."

The ARC Captain had been proved wrong when he received orders to take a _Nu_ -class shuttle to Christophsis in order to pick up two EPWs-Enemy Prisoners of War.

 _Prisoner transport?_ Ordo thought, both confused and irritated. _This is something the infantry can handle, warranting at most RCs. Even just_ one _ARC is overkill, and more importantly an invaluable asset that can't be on an actual op while he's on guard duty. These two Seps better be worth it._

After getting clearance from the FOB's ATC, Ordo landed the shuttle with the precision of a machinist. Lowering his chair from the cockpit, the Null ARC unstrapped himself, and lowered the boarding ramp.

A Human woman dressed in camouflage fatigues, a man in armor with a reddish-brown Republic cog on the chest plate, a young female Togruta dressed in what looked like traditional Jedi robes, and a group of clone troopers greeted the ARC trooper. Amongst the white jobs were two cryo-chambers that reminded Ordo of coffins.

"Good afternoon, Captain," said the armored man. "I'm General Chad Skywalker. This is General Serra Keto, a close friend of mine, and Commander Raana Tano, my Padawan. Commanders Bruiser and Sixes are Keto and I's top officers."

"Good afternoon, General Skywalker," replied Ordo. "My name's Ordo, sir. Where are the prisoners?"

The Human woman, Keto, spoke up. "In the cryo-chambers, Captain Ordo. Due to the circumstances, we figured putting them on ice was the best option. It helps that they're both in suspended animation as a result, so no chance of either of them trying to escape. These fuckers already cost us too many of our men."

"Good to hear that, General Keto," Ordo replied. He didn't particularly like Jedi, but Skywalker and Keto seemed decent enough, and the latter seemed to be incensed at losing troops thanks to the Sep POWs. "Let's get them onboard and head to _Tenacious_ , then."

The Togruta Padawan, Tano, narrowed her eyes and frowned. "Excuse me, Captain? Your shuttle is capable of hyperspace travel, why do we need to board _Tenacious_? If you need to refuel, I'm sure it can be done here."

Ordo shrugged; he had been given his orders by the powers that be, and he would carry them out as precisely as possible, if only because it was easier to just obey orders this time rather than bend them and annoy Zey. "Can't say, Commander Tano," he told her. "Maybe our superiors think we're more secure aboard a Star Destroyer. Maybe they don't want us to get ambushed and blown up by the Seps. All we can do is take these two to Coruscant per our orders."

The troopers loaded the cryo-chambers aboard the shuttle then proceeded to sit down with their Jedi superiors. Ordo got back into his chair and strapped in before getting back up to the cockpit.

"FOB ATC, this is Shuttle Nern-Eleven," said Ordo. "Requesting permission to takeoff, over."

"Nern-Eleven, roger," replied a traffic controller. "You are cleared to takeoff, wind speeds are twenty knots, heading two-four-five. Over."

"Understood," Ordo replied as he activated the shuttle's repulsorlifts. "Lifting off now, over."

Ordo flew towards _Tenacious_ and gained permission to land after transmitting his clearance codes. Once he had landed, the Captain lowered the ramp and was greeted by a man in a Republic Navy uniform and a platoon of men and women's worth in dark blue uniforms.

"Welcome aboard, Master Jedi," the Navy officer said as the Jedi walked down the ramp, their subordinates following with the cryo-chambers. "I see you have the prisoners with you. Which of these cryo-chambers contains the clone traitor?"

Ordo raised an eyebrow under his helmet. "Excuse me, Commander," he said after glancing at the officer's rank insignia, "but did you just say _clone_ and _traitor_ in the same sentence?"

Skywalker sighed audibly even though he was wearing a helmet. "Seems as though you weren't informed, Captain Ordo," he said before the Commander could answer. "One clone trooper, Sergeant Slick, went rogue and leaked secrets to the Separatists on Christophsis. Because of him, they were able to foil an ambush we had planned and launch an attack on our FOB in Crystal City. The latter hasn't been directly attributed to Slick's espionage, but regardless he turned on his brothers. Serra and I lost men thanks to him."

"My condolences, General Skywalker," said the officer. "But I must know which of these containers has the traitorous clone trooper inside. The reason I greeted you with a detachment of Marines is because birth-born guards are less likely to sympathize with Slick than clone soldiers."

Ordo was irritated at what could very well be anti-clone bigotry on the part of the Navy officer, but held his tongue. _Can't really afford to start trouble with this guy aboard his own ship..._

Skywalker tapped one of the cryo-chambers. "Slick's in here," he said. "Have the Marines guard him if you want, Commander Tarkin. All I want to do right now is get this ship on her way to Coruscant so I can get back to my legion as soon as possible. The boys need me at the front, not on Coruscant sitting around watching holovids of airhead celebrities."

Ordo's respect for the Jedi General shot up a few points. _At least he tries to be there for the white jobs under his watch._

"Thank you, sir," Tarkin said. "If you or anyone else in your group wishes to be around the rogue Sergeant's chamber, feel free to do so. However, orders dictate having Marines on guard for the Sergeant at all times, and I will ensure those orders are carried out."

While Ordo still didn't like it, he could understand the rationale of assigning Marines to the job if the _aruetiise_ couldn't trust clones with guarding the apparent traitor. Formerly the Judicial Assault Troops, the Galactic Republic Marine Corps had been established following the Battle of Geonosis and the Judicial Forces' transformation into the Republic Armed Forces. Considered some of the most best trained and reliable non-clone troops under the Republic's banner, the Marines were frontline fighters who were more than capable of taking on ordinary battle droids, even if Ordo didn't think they were as good as clone troopers.

 _Well, it's not as if these guys don't try, and_ we _have the advantage of being engineered and trained for warfare. Gotta admire the guts to volunteer to fight for a cause, even if the Republic's not the most admirable of entities._

"So..." Ordo said after the prisoners had been secured and placed under guard. "Anyone want to go get something to eat?" He really felt like he could use a meal of roba sausage with gravy.

 ***CUT TO: UNKNOWN SECURE FACILITY, CORUSCANT***

Quiet had been severely wounded during her ill-fated mission on Christophsis. Being set on fire by being shot, tactical vest or not, had not been pleasant, and the fact that fuel had literally been added to Quiet's fire did not help things.

After providing the Confederate officer medical treatment and stabilizing her condition, the Republican scum had placed her into a cryo-chamber then restrained her before putting her into suspended animation. It was both to keep her safe and to keep her from escaping, they said. Quiet had accepted the logic her enemies used, but she didn't like being in cryogenic suspension. It was one thing to fall asleep, because unless one died they could choose to wake up. In contrast with cryo, unless you had set a timer to awaken yourself, you were at the mercy of others.

Light appeared in Quiet's eyes as she regained consciousness. The cryo-pod had been opened, she saw, but by whom and why?

A cloaked figure stepped into view, two droids at his side. "Good morning, Captain," the figure said.

Quiet shook her head. She may have been in pain from her burns, but the woman's alarms had been set off in her head. "Who are you?" she asked. "What do you want with me?"

The man in the black hood shook his head. "My dear, you have proven yourself to be an effective operative, one who was even trusted with the assassination of a Jedi General," he told her. "I feel that you can help advance my plans for the galaxy more efficiently if you are under my direct command."

Quiet snarled at the cloaked figure, unable to move but still defiant. "I am an officer of the Confederacy of Independent Systems!" she replied. "I fight for a free galaxy, old man, not some cesspool of corruption like the Republic!"

The figure chuckled. "My, you are a true Confederate patriot," he said. "But unfortunately for you, young one, the Confederacy is a sham. I agree with you that the Republic cannot be saved. It must be transformed into something better, something that can work. Despite how the history books will denounce your Confederacy as a deplorable entity, it is essential to what I have been working towards for decades-most of my life, actually. Thanks to you and your fellow revolutionaries for a doomed cause, I will be able to make the galaxy great again."

Darth Sidious, Lord of the Sith, then turned on his heel and left the room with his two droid bodyguards, ignoring the infuriated protests of the Separatist officer whose superiors had nicknamed "Quiet." Once the medical droids he had assigned to her had done their job, she would become an asset taking her orders directly from him. Not a Sith Apprentice like Maul or Tyrannus or even a Dark Jedi like Asajj Ventress, but an operative under his command that had been..."conditioned"...to follow the Sith Lord's orders without question or hesitation.

 **ME: Palpatine/Vader 2016! Sheev has decades of political experience, and Vader is a Clone Wars veteran who served as both a General and a fighter pilot. And yes, they know how to deal with the damn Sand People! Those two are way more qualified than Trump or Clinton! #MakeTheGalaxyGreatAgain!**

 **On a less comedic note, while I'm not sure about whether to watch KOTOR 2 or not, Mobyus1's walkthrough of KOTOR was awesome.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this update.**

 **As for Quiet and Palps...let their section sink in for a few seconds if you want to know what he's got planned for her.**


	38. Ziro's Fall

**ME: I was considering doing a TECD update with an Andronikos Revel Expy, but I still have no idea of how to incorporate him or even a name, so here's this.**

Suffered heavy losses on Teth, Skywalker's troops have. However, en route to Tatooine with Jabba's son, Master Kenobi reports Skywalker and his new Padawan are.

 **(Master Yoda, speaking to Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine)**

It was something else to be on Coruscant while Anakin and his brother's subordinates were at the front, Chad reflected, even if the 182nd was in the process of taking in replacements for the losses the legion had endured.

So as a result, he had decided to take Raana along with him when he and Serra met with Commander Fox, CO of the Coruscant Guard. As implied by their name, Coruscant Guardsmen mainly busied themselves with beefing up security on the Republic's capital, but Chad thought that building a good working relationship with Fox and his troops would be prudent in the event of joint operations between the Guard and the 182nd Legion.

 _Plus even if the guys deserve the break, it just feels wrong for me to sit on my ass,_ Chad thought. I can choose to quit, they can't.

"Good to see you, Commander Fox," said Chad as they walked into Fox's office. "This is my new Padawan, Commander Raana Tano. Raana, this is Commander Fox, the leader of the Coruscant Guard."

Togruta and clone shook hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander," Raana said in her Coruscanti accent, which Chad was still getting used to. "I read about you and your unit before I became a Padawan. It's good to know that there are soldiers watching over Coruscant in this time of chaos."

"We were born to serve, ma'am," replied Fox.

Just as the words left his mouth, Fox's holotransceiver began to beep. "Excuse me, sir and ma'ams," he said before answering the call.

The holographic form of a Senate Guard appeared. "Commander Fox, we have a situation in the Uscru District. It looks like Senator Amidala has been taken hostage by Ziro the Hutt at his palace, coordinates transmitting. We suspect the Senator's life is in grave danger, sir. Do you have any assets available?"

"I'll lead the QRF myself, Guardsman," Fox responded. "Are they any Senate Commandos available? Also, any possibility the local CUP precinct can provide assistance?"

"The Underworld Police in the area are under investigation due to reports of corruption amongst their ranks, Commander," said the Senate Guardsman. "We have a unit of Commandos to send to the palace, sir, but my superiors would greatly appreciate the assistance of you and your men given the circumstances."

"Understood, get me in contact with your superiors so we can coordinate," ordered the Coruscant Guard Commander.

Chad spoke up. "Fox, I've worked with Senator Amidala before," he said. "Plus I can give you guys some help when you kick in the door."

"I'm coming with you then, Chad," said Serra.

"May I come too, Master?" Raana asked.

"If you want, Raana," Chad answered. "You can sit this one out if you want."

The young Togruta girl shook her head. "I am your Padawan, Master Skywalker," she said. "It is my duty to accompany you on missions in service to the Republic."

"Got it," Chad replied. "I'm blessed to have you at my side, Raana."

Minutes later LAAT/i gunships had lifted off with the three Jedi as well as Fox and his subordinates in the Coruscant Guard QRF aboard. Before long they rendezvoused with the Senate Commando team and headed for Ziro's palace.

After landing, a perimeter was set up by the Republicans. "General Skywalker, General Keto, we're ready to move," reported Fox.

"Copy that," replied Serra. "Expected opposition, Commander Fox?"

"Looks like mainly droids, ma'am," Fox reported. "B-Ones and IG-Eighty-Sixes, the latter of which are substantially deadlier than the former. However, it looks like there are organics besides Amidala and Ziro inside as well, so I'd treat everyone who isn't the Senator as hostile until proven otherwise, General."

Chad grimaced under his helmet. "Have your men and the Commandos prep flashbangs and droid poppers, Commander," he ordered. "Too bad we couldn't get a no-knock warrant."

"Well, sir, at least we're obviously military and law enforcement personnel and can't be mistaken for ordinary burglars."

 ***CUT TO: ZIRO'S PALACE, USCRU DISTRICT, UNDERWORLD, CORUSCANT***

"Your protocol droid's call has made you more trouble than you're worth, Senator Amidala," said the ridiculously camp and flamboyant Hutt that was Ziro Desilijic Tiure after his captive was brought before him.

Padmé look Ziro right in the eye. "So you're going to send me into some overly elaborate death trap, Ziro?" she asked. "You're going to kill me, a Republic Senator, on Coruscant? You do realize that if you murder me, Republic law dictates that you be punished by life imprisonment or execution?"

Ziro rolled his eyes. "I'm not a murderer _myself_ , Senator," he said contemptuously. "I just employ them, such as this local policeman. So don't worry about being sliced in half by a laser or anything."

A man dressed in a Coruscant Underworld Police uniform walked into view. _Ziro has corrupt police officers working for him,_ Padmé thought. _Of course. Even in the Underworld, you can still be disappointed in sentientkind._

"What will it be, Miss?" the crooked lawman said as he opened a suitcase and drew a blaster pistol. _Probably one he stole off a criminal._ "A bolt to the head to make it quick, or would you rather I double-tap you in the chest so you can have an open cask-."

A door breaching charge went off before the corrupt policeman could finish talking, followed by stun grenades being thrown into the room. Knowing what the explosives would do, Padmé shut her eyes and did her best to protect her ears.

The flashbangs went off, followed by an EMP grenade. Chad, Serra, and Raana rushed into the building, followed by Coruscant Guard troopers and Senate Commandos.

The dirty Underworld cop made the mistake of not dropping his weapon (admittedly, he had been disoriented by the flashbangs, but still) and was shot. What IG-86 droids that hadn't been disabled did open fire, but the Republicans had the advantage and were able to take them out without losing any of their own in the process.

"Senator Amidala?" Chad asked as he helped Padmé to her feet.

"I'm fine, General Skywalker," she said. "Thank you for asking and your help. I don't think I would still be alive if you brave souls hadn't intervened."

"Please don't kill me!" Ziro begged, his hands held as high as possible, sounding incredibly pathetic. "Please, I beg you, I'm more valuable to you people alive!"

Serra smiled under her respirator, though she found Ziro's voice annoying. "Why are you more valuable alive than dead to us, Ziro?"

Surely enough, the Hutt revealed that he had conspired with the Separatist Minister of Defense, Pong Krell, to kidnap Jabba's son Rotta in exchange for Krell's hope in deposing Jabba and enabling Ziro to take control of the Hutt Cartel. Unsurprisingly, when this was revealed to Jabba, he was enraged at his uncle confessing his treachery. The crime lord, now reunited with Rotta thanks to the efforts of Anakin and Ahsoka, granted the Republic access to his hyperspace routes and requested that Krell be brought to justice for kidnapping his son and conspiring against him.

"We will do our best to ensure that Krell is brought to justice for his crimes, Lord Jabba," Padmé said.

Later that day, Chad was able to comm his twin brother. "You guys alright?" he asked. "Both you and Ahsoka looked kinda rough via hologram."

"We just got off Tatooine," Anakin replied. "Ahsoka and I are fine, no need to pray to the Force so we survive a surgery or anything. Thanks for asking, though. It's Rex and the others I would worry about, most of Torrent Company got wiped out on Teth. Hopefully these supply routes'll be worth their lives."

Chad winced. "Sorry to hear that. How is Ahsoka settling in?"

"A bit snippy, hence the nickname, but she definitely has what it takes to be a Jedi." Anakin shook his head. "Hopefully she'll get through this war in one piece. Raana alright?"

"A bit formal compared to Serra," Chad said, "but she's a kid fresh out of the Temple. What can I expect? I just hope I can be a good role model and train her right."

One thing was for certain-between Togruta Padawans and the rest of the war, the Jedi brothers would have a lot to take on together.

 **ME: Hopefully this was a satisfactory conclusion.**

 **Just as my good friend Ahsokafanboy1138 decided Padmé should've grown a brain when it came to the failures of trying to negotiate with the CIS, I've decided to make the Senate Commandos more realistic (i.e. at least somewhat competent most of the time). Granted, even 501st clones like Denal aren't immune to the Idiot Ball whenever the writers get lazy.**

 **I'm not sure about adapting the Toydarian arc, if only because one TV Troper claimed the Toydarians are Hutt vassals and thus would be on the Republic's side if only because Jabba wanted to get back at the CIS for Rotta being kidnapped. Also, Umbarra seceding from the Republic because of their Senator being murdered does seem like a flimsy reason to join the Seps, even if Mee Deechi was popular.**

 **I mentioned no-knock warrants and the fact that the Coruscant Guardsmen and Senate Commandos are blatantly easy to identify because law enforcement officers failing to identify themselves and not having identifying marks on the front of their uniforms are apparently problems with no-knock raids in real life.**


	39. Rising Malevolence

**ME: The Confederacy strikes back, I guess. Unfortunately, TECD is on hold until further notice due to both lack of ideas and time constraints.**

House Kuat and Kuat Drive Yards stand with the Republic. We are proud to provide warships worthy of the warriors who seek to end the Separatist menace.

 **(Lady Onara Kuat, CEO of Kuat Drive Yards and matriarch of House Kuat)**

If there was one thing Serra did not think she would ever get used to, it was being summoned to meet with the Supreme Chancellor in his office.

 _You're a General now, Serra,_ the young Jedi Knight reminded herself. _It's perfectly natural for the commander-in-chief to meet with one of his officers, even if you aren't a Master yet._

After being cleared by the two members of the Chancellor's personal guard posted outside the office, she and Chad strode inside.

Palpatine greeted them with a grandfatherly smile. "Generals Skywalker and Keto," he said. "I hear from Commander Fox that both of you were instrumental in rescuing Senator Amidala from that vile gangster Ziro. Thanks to the two of you, not only was the Senator unharmed but so were the Coruscant Guardsmen and Senate Commandos involved."

"I was just doing my job, Chancellor Palpatine," Chad replied.

Serra resisted the urge to smile at her husband's modest response. "Same here, sir," she said. "Honestly, Your Excellency, I would be more concerned about corruption in the CSF. Imagine Separatist saboteurs bribing police officers to turn a blind eye to their operations, for example."

The elderly statesman nodded. "Thank you for your advice, my dear," he told Serra. "Tell me, General Keto-do you know of Kuat Drive Yards?"

Serra raised an eyebrow. "Of course, Chancellor," she said, confusion evident in her voice. "KDY's one of the three biggest shipbuilding corporations in the galaxy and one of our top suppliers."

Palpatine smiled. "And their CEO, Lady Kuat, has informed me that the first of a new class of vessels, _Tector_ , is ready to launch."

The Chancellor then tapped at his desk, which then projected a hologram of _Tector_. "This vessel is the lead ship of a new class of Star Destroyers, Generals," he said. "One-point-six kilometers long, _Tector_ has no hangar bays but is better armored and armed to compensate. _Tector_ is one of the largest warships the Republic has fielded in our efforts to stop the Separatists so far, General Keto, and I'm assigning it to you as your flagship."

Serra was shocked. "Me, sir?" she said in disbelief.

"Yes, General," said Palpatine. "You are one of the Grand Army's best young leaders. I read you were wounded on Christophsis and played a key part in securing Jabiim when the odds were heavily stacked against you and your comrades. General Keto, my dear, you have done more than enough to warrant being assigned _Tector_."

Serra bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you, Supreme Chancellor," she said. "It's an honor to be entrusted with the lead ship of the _Tector_ -class, Your Excellency."

Chad chose to spoke up. "I'm happy to see Serra be assigned a nice ship, Chancellor," he said. "But with all due respect, Your Excellency, _Tector_ lacks hangar bays. Even if she's better in ship-to-ship combat than the _Venators_ , she can't serve as a starfighter carrier or house gunships for clone troopers, limiting versatility."

"The Separatists send powerful warships into battle, General Skywalker," replied Palpatine. "So the _Tector_ -class Star Destroyer is a natural response. But do not worry, the _Venator_ -class Star Destroyers will continue to serve the Republic. We will need every warship we can get to defeat our enemies."

Surely enough, Serra was soon sent to Kuat to attend the launch of _Tector_ and receive command of the Star Destroyer. Captain Jaim Helaw, an experienced naval officer who cared little for politics, was assigned as the ship's CO.

The Jedi General answered what questions she could at the press conference before boarding the vessel along with Captain Helaw. _Tector's_ reactor was currently offline, but she drew electrical power from the shipyard, so their path to the bridge was well-lit.

"She may lack a complement of fighters and gunships, General Keto," said Helaw when the two made it to the bridge, "but it looks like Kuat's done a fine job with her."

"Hopefully _Tector_ will prove her worth in battle," replied Serra before tapping at the two-way intercom. "Engineering, conn."

"Engineering, aye," replied _Tector's_ chief engineer.

"Engineering, activate reactor," she ordered. "It's time we got underway and joined the fleet, everyone on the front right now could really use some help."

"Aye aye, General Keto," obeyed the chief engineer. "Reactor'll be online before you know it, ma'am."

Surely enough, _Tector's_ main reactor was soon online, as the operations officer on the bridge reported. "Conn, engineering," said the chief engineer.

"Conn, aye," Serra answered. "Keto here."

"General Keto, ma'am, the main reactor is fully operational; thankfully KDY decided to give _Tector_ to use fully fueled. Awaiting orders."

Serra: "Get the engines and hyperdrive online, I want us ready to enter hyperspace five minutes ago."

"Aye, General."

Soon enough, _Tector_ had been guided clear of the Orbital Array with the help of tugboats equipped with powerful tractor beams. Serra was ready to give the order to initiate the hyperjump, only for a voice to speak up.

"General Keto, I'm tracking multiple contacts coming out of hyperspace," a sensor operator reported.

She frowned in response. "Captain Helaw, are there any ships scheduled to enter the system?"

"None as far as I know, General," the older officer answered.

The contacts the sensor operator had reported exited hyperspace. They turned out to be seven _Munificent_ -class star frigates, the backbone of the Separatist fleet.

"Battlestations!" Serra barked. "Raise the shields and alert KDY! I want reinforcements to blow these clankers out of the black!"

"Ma'am," a comm technician reported from the data pit, "I've just received a message from the local defense fleet. They're scrambling reinforcements but it should be at least five minutes until they can get any fighters on station."

 _Banthashit,_ she thought, _nothing takes five minutes._ But saying that would only undermine her authority and increase doubt amongst the crew, so Serra kept her mouth shut.

"I want the Seps comms traffic analyzed," ordered Serra. "Whichever ship has the most comms traffic coming to and from it will likely be the flagship."

"General Keto, one of the frigates is on an intercept course towards us," the sensor operator said. "At current velocity, it'll be within range in approximately t-minus sixty seconds."

"Weapons, target that frigate in the interim," she told the tactical officer. "Pound them into scrap, Lieutenant."

"Aye aye, ma'am."

The _Munificent_ released Vulture droids before engaging _Tector_. While it and the other frigates had the advantage of numbers and fighter support, in addition to having a superior crew composed of organic beings, _Tector_ was better armed and better shielded. As a result, her shields were holding when the _Munificent's_ forward shields were disabled.

"General, I think we've identified the flagship," a technician said. "It seems to be Target Alpha Six."

"Good work," Serra replied as the current target of _Tector_ , the frigate designated Target Alpha Two, went down in flames. "Weapons, focus all fire on Target Alpha Six. It's time we decapitated the enemy."

"By your command, General," the tactical officer said in acknowledgement.

The first of _Tector's_ reinforcements arrived shortly after she had engaged Target Alpha Six, in the form of V-19 Torrents. While unable to take out the Munificent frigates on their own, they forced the Separatists to divert fighters to hold them off, leaving less Vultures to support the attack on _Tector_. Meanwhile, the crew of Target Alpha Six, correctly guessing the plans of their Republican foes, attempted to retreat behind another frigate and save their own vessel from destruction

"Don't let 'em get away!" Serra told the tactical officer, wishing she could leap into a Delta-7B and take the fight to the Seps personally. The young woman had requested that a docking clamp aboard _Tector_ be modified to accommodate such a fighter; unfortunately, her request had not been granted. "Hit the reactor if you have to!"

Despite the crew of Target Alpha Six's efforts, the ion cannons and turbolasers of _Tector_ were able to bring the frigate's shields down before her enemy could escape to safety. A lucky barrage destroyed the containment field of one of the two primary reactors, causing a wildcat destabilization that destroyed the _Munificent_. Without the Separatist flagship, the Vulture droids became less well coordinated due to relying on their individual intelligence matrices and the separate central control computers of the five remaining frigates.

None of the five frigates retreated, and all were destroyed soon after. Republican reinforcements sent to aid _Tector_ only accelerated the outcome.

"Well done, Master Keto," Palpatine said via hologram later. Some would say that the use of _Master_ rather than _General_ was a deliberate choice of words on the Chancellor's part in an effort to get on Serra's good side, even though it was appropriate to address Jedi Knights (or even Padawans, for that matter) as "Master Jedi." "From what Lady Kuat has told me, you engaged the Separatist raiders on your own and defeated them."

"A few fighters were lost, but thankfully no casualties aboard _Tector_ , Your Excellency," said Serra. "I appreciate your compliment, sir, but credit should go to the clones and other sailors who participated in the battle. I just gave orders due to not having access to a fighter."

Palpatine smiled. "I'll make sure to have KDY modify _Tector_ as you requested, General, and will have your fighter sent over. This was a most successful test, losses aside, but I am relieved that casualties were kept to a minimum while all seven of the Separatist warships were destroyed."

Serra: "That's an issue I wanted to discuss with you, Chancellor. Seven frigates would've never been able to take on Kuat's defenses, so why even bother sending seven ships if you'll lose all of them for no real gain in return?"

The elderly Naboo male stroked his chin as if in thought. "Perhaps the Separatists' spies were able to learn of _Tector's_ launch and our enemies hoped to ambush you, my dear. Or they intended to launch a hit-and-run attack. Regardless of the reasons behind this attack, General Keto, what matters is that you successfully stopped it with minimal Republican losses. Your next assignment, once _Tector_ is ready to leave, is to rendezvous with the Skywalker brothers in the Bith system. There is a rumored Separatist superweapon about, which apparently wiped out General Nune's battlegroup in the Phu system and left no survivors, and we need to protect our staging area in the Bith system from such a menace."

Serra wasn't the type to have nightmares, but she found the rumors of a mysterious, ultra-powerful Separatist warship that could take out entire battle groups on its own to be unsettling at best. "Understood, Your Excellency. I'll get _Tector_ underway ASAP."

"Good, Master Jedi," Palpatine replied. "I am blessed by the Force to have you as an officer, General Keto."

Once _Tector_ had reached the Bith system, Serra learned that Anakin had gone off with Ahsoka in a freighter to scout ahead after ordering Admiral Yularen to split up the ships under his command to maximize their defense coverage. When asked why her brother-in-law had decided to go off with only Ahsoka and R2, Chad explained that Master Plo Koon had apparently located the Separatist mystery weapon in the Abregado system but contact had been lost.

"So," Serra said in realization, "Anakin's gone off on a rescue mission without the Council's approval."

"Indeed," Chad replied. "Hopefully he'll return in one piece."

Fortunately, Anakin did return unharmed with Ahsoka and Plo Koon. Unfortunately, the rumors about a powerful Separatist warship capable of destroying entire battle groups on its own in mere minutes were confirmed to be true.

Now it was up to the Jedi to take out the biggest individual threat to the Republic Navy before it was too late.

 **ME: This may have been my worst chapter yet. Sorry if it was.**

 **I gotta select classes for next semester next week, guys, so updates for both this and TECD may be sporadic at best. Also, check out Ahsokafanboy1138's Udessi. It may have only one chapter so far, but it definitely is looking to be a great story.**


	40. Malevolent Climax

**ME: Sorry for not updating in a while, I've been busy. In celebration of having finished Labyrinth of Evil, time for _Malevolence_ to get some...and not in a good way. Haven't seen the latest Rebels episode yet, so no spoilers, please. Sorry for not updating TECD again, but writer's block and shit.**

I am honored to promote General Grievous, the top military commander of the Confederacy, to the rank of General of the Armies of the Confederacy. He is a brave officer who has faced the Republican tyrants in space and on the ground, and despite his aversion to rewards, General Grievous has earned his new rank.

 **(President Tikkes, head of state of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, in a news broadcast following the promotion of Grievous to the rank of General of the Armies)**

Now that the existence of _Malevolence_ had been confirmed thanks to the rescue of General Plo Koon and a handful of his subordinates, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and the Jedi Council had been swift to react. Anakin had been placed in charge of the effort to hunt down and destroy the most powerful warship the Separatists had fielded so far, and as a result had acquired one squadron of Y-wing bombers and two squadrons of ARC-170 fighters to serve as escorts for the Y-wings.

"The fact we now know of her existence does not change the fact that _Malevolence_ remains the biggest threat to the Republic Navy," Anakin said as he briefed the clone pilots under his command. "However, while our capital ships are vulnerable to _Malevolence's_ ion weapons, I believe our fighters and bombers are fast, small, and maneuverable enough to avoid being hit by them. Our priority target will be the bridge-if we can take it out, not only will _Malevolence_ go down in flames but she'll bring Grievous down with her. With both Grievous and his new flagship reduced to scrap, we can bring the war to a quicker end, leading to less casualties for both us and the Seps in the long run." Anakin didn't mind killing organic Separatists in combat, but it would be easier to reintegrate Separatist worlds if the war was ended in a quick and efficient manner. Dragging it out would just lead to more bad blood and post-war difficulties.

"The head clanker?" a pilot asked. "Sir, with all due respect, that seems pretty ambitious, even for us."

"I know, Matchstick," replied Anakin. "That's why Shadow Squadron got Y-wings, because you guys are more than capable of taking on this cruiser-crusher, as Ahsoka nicknamed _Malevolence_ , and emerging victorious. Now it's time to make all our training on these birds, both in the sims and in the cockpit, pay off."

"We won't let you down, General Skywalker," said another Shadow Squadron pilot, Broadside. "Minimum casualties, maximum effectiveness. That's us, sir."

"Minimal casualties could very well end up making the difference between success and failure on this mission, pilots," Plo Koon said as he walked into view. "Skywalker, your plan may be aggressive, but given the losses the fleet is sustaining thanks to Grievous and his monstrous warship, it is understandable you have decided to use a more proactive strategy. In order to prevent something like the destruction of my old battlegroup from happening again, I volunteer to fly with your strike force and help provide protection for the bombers."

The younger Jedi smiled. "Glad to have you onboard, Master Plo. Ahsoka and I both felt you'd tag along, so we had your fighter, _Blade of Dorin_ , readied. Welcome to the squadron, Shadow Escort."

As the Y-wings and ARC-170s were prepared for takeoff, Ahsoka wondered which bomber she'd fly into battle. "Hey, Master, which one's mine?" the Togruta Padawan asked.

"You're with me, Ahsoka. You'll be manning the turret," Anakin answered. When the teenager frowned, he replied, "Someone's gotta watch my back, Snips."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Then why not get Broadside or at least R-Two to do it, Master? Just be honest and admit it, Skyguy-you just don't like my flying."

Before Anakin could refute his teenage student's accusation, his wrist comlink beeped. He answered it and said, "Skywalker here."

"General Skywalker, I've just received word that a medical convoy in the Ryndellia system has been attacked," Admiral Yularen said via the comlink. "No confirmation on casualties yet, but I suspect that Grievous left no survivors."

"A medical convoy?" said Ahsoka, disgusted. "Only Grievous would attack clones who can't fight back."

Chad, who had been headed over along with Serra to talk with Anakin, frowned. "The Ryndellia system's near our medical center at Kaliida Shoals, right?" Chad pointed out.

"And the fact that Grievous just fired on medical transports proves he isn't above violating the Coruscant Conventions," Serra added. "Taking out escape pods to keep _Malevolence_ a secret was one thing, but if he's willing to attack a medical convoy, targeting a hospital isn't much of a stretch."

Anakin: "Agreed." To Yularen: "Copy that, Admiral, thanks for the heads-up. Warn the Kaliida Shoals Medical Center that Grievous is probably headed their way, we'll have to protect them."

"Understood, sir. I'll get our ships headed towards that station ASAP. Yularen out."

Twelve Y-wings, twenty-four ARC-170s, and a single Delta-7B headed out into space before engaging their hyperdrives. At the suggestion of Anakin, the Republican strike force exited hyperspace outside the Kaliida Nebula in order to take a shortcut.

"This soup's pretty thick," muttered one of the ARC-170 pilots after they entered the nebula. It wasn't good form to make unnecessary chatter, but it was extremely unlikely they would be attacked by Vulture droids at the moment, so the aviator didn't feel like he was dangerously distracting anyone.

"Just keep your eyes open and focused on what's ahead, gents," Anakin ordered.

Ahsoka grunted in frustration. "He's right, boys, you'll have to," she said. "Scanners are currently worthless."

"This is old-fashioned flying, Snips. You gotta feel your way through," her master replied.

Plo: "Skywalker's right, Ahsoka. Clear your mind, Ahsoka, and you will see the path ahead."

"Right now, I can't see anything," the young Padawan snarked.

Serra felt curious about how her brother-in-law had happened to know about the shortcut he had led them to. "Hey, Anakin," she said.

"Yeah, Serra?" replied Anakin. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering how knew about this shortcut," said Serra. "Just curious, that's all, and I figured we could kill some time."

"This is a smuggler's route, pilots used to talk about it on Tatooine," Anakin explained.

"Smuggler's route?" Ahsoka asked. "Really, Skyguy? That actually has gotten me kinda nervous."

"I have to agree with my cousin, Master Anakin," Raana added. "We could run into mercenaries or Separatist privateers."

"Relax, both of you," cut in Chad. "We've got enough firepower to take down any punk-ass freelance criminal, and I doubt they've got the spine to take on half a wing's worth of starfighters. Hey, Anakin, what's this shortcut even called? Sarlaac Express?"

"Very fun," Anakin shot back. "Actually, I always heard this shortcut's named, 'Balmorra Run.'"

" _Balmorra Run?_ " Plo Koon asked in alarm.

"Is everything alright, General?" asked Matchstick, confused. "What's wrong about this shortcut?"

 ***CUT TO: BRIDGE OF CSS _MALEVOLENCE_ ***

"Come on," General Grievous said in a low voice, annoyed. _Malevolence_ was on her way to destroy the Republic medical station he had been given coordinates to by Defense Minister Pong Krell, a former Jedi Master he did not like very much, if at all. "This is taking too long!"

The droid at the navigation station spoke up after a few minutes. "General, we've only got one parsec left to go," it said.

"Finally!"

"Sir, incoming transmission from Defense Minister Krell," said another droid.

"Put it through."

The Besalisk Confederate appeared via hologram. "General Grievous, I've just received new intelligence from Lord Sidious," Krell said. "The Republic has sent a small strike force to attack _Malevolence_."

"Let the Republicans come!" Grievous replied. "This ship is unstoppable!"

Krell shook his head. "The Jedi in charge of these Republicans is Anakin Skywalker, an expert pilot prophesied by some as the Chosen One," he explained, taking the tone one would use when instructing a young child to both drive the point home and cut the Kaleesh cyborg down to size. "So don't underestimate him, Grievous. Admiral Taan probably could do without being made Supreme Confederate Commander thanks to you getting yourself killed."

Grievous growled. "If anything, Krell," he said, not caring if he offended the Minister of Defense, " _Skywalker_ will be the one who underestimates _me_."

 ***CUT TO: Y-WING ENTERING KALIIDA SHOALS***

In spite of an astromech losing its dome and Matchstick's bomber being damaged, the Republicans emerged from the Kaliida Nebula intact a mere forty-five seconds before _Malevolence_ exited hyperspace.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," Anakin said. "Shields up, it's time we gave Grievous a little payback for all the clones and Jedi he's killed."

"Spectre Squadron, lock S-foils in attack position," Chad ordered his squadron. "We've got a medical station to save."

"Copy that, Spectre Leader," replied the clone pilots of Spectre Squadron.

 _Malevolence_ opened fire on the fleeing medical transports; Grievous evidently didn't want any patients to escape. Fortunately, half of the ships were able to escape into hyperspace due to having powered up their hyperdrives while docked at the medical station, though the other half was not so lucky and ended up disabled, floating helplessly in space. For whatever reason, the gigantic Separatist warship did not destroy the medical transports. Perhaps Grievous was busy focusing on the medical station and the Republican strike force. Perhaps he wanted the medical transport crews and their injured and wounded passengers to watch in terror as the medical station and the starfighters were destroyed before being finished off. Regardless, the Republican pilots now had Vulture droids to worry about.

"Keep those fighters off of us," Anakin ordered as red and blue particle bolts flew through the air.

"Your fancy flying is making it difficult," Ahsoka grunted back.

As the thirty-seven Republican fighters engaged their Separatist counterparts, _Malevolence's_ ion cannon began to charge.

"Generals," a clone spoke up, "enemy weapon is charging."

"Come on, everyone!" Anakin said, thinking they only had a limited timeframe to save the medical station.

One of _Malevolence's_ two cannons spat out a round of ionized particles at the starfighters, even though the Vulture droids were still attempting to shoot down their Republican opponents.

"Incoming, incoming!" Raana yelled.

"Take evasive action!" Serra ordered in a calmer voice.

"Head for the edge of the round, now!" Anakin added.

Matchstick attempted to keep up, but eventually his port engine overloaded from the stress and the Y-wing collided with an ARC-170. Both fighters were destroyed in the crash, while a number of other ships were disabled by the ion cannon round along with the Vulture droids.

"Master, apart from us, there's only six Y-wings still flying," Ahsoka told Anakin. "Looks like the One-Seventies got hit pretty hard, too."

"Stay on course, everyone," Plo Koon said, managing to keep his voice level in spite of the losses they had sustained. "If we don't stop Malevolence now, the sacrifices of those we have lost will have been for nothing."

The strike force proceeded towards _Malevolence_. Two more of the Y-wings was shot down and crashed into the gargantuan warship, while one ARC-170 exploded shielding a Y-wing from Separatist fire.

"Master, we need a new plan, we're getting torn to shreds!" Ahsoka pleaded. "Master!"

"Skywalker!" said Plo. "If we do enough damage to the ion cannon, it may overload when Grievous tries to fire it. It won't kill him, but it'll save the medical station for sure."

"Agreed," chimed in both Chad and Serra.

Anakin thought it through. Considering how well protected the bridge was and how the medical station was already being targeted, the Republicans had no choice but to settle for guaranteeing the survival of countless wounded clones and their caretakers.

"Shadow Leader to Shadow Squadron, new target," he ordered. "We're going after the starboard ion cannon. Spectre Squadron, Phantom Squadron, you guys can come along if you want."

The ARC-170s and Y-wings armed their loads of proton torpedoes before targeting the starboard ion cannon of _Malevolence_. Locking onto the thermal signature of the anti-capital ship weapon, the starfighters opened fire, sending their torpedoes into the cannon. When the cannon attempted to fire regardless, the result was not a disabled Kaliida Shoals Medical Center vulnerable to turbolaser fire. Instead, the cannon overloaded and exploded, causing damage throughout _Malevolence_.

Thirty seconds after the ion cannon had overloaded, Republican warships entered the system. Most were _Venator_ -class Star Destroyers, nicknamed "Jedi cruisers," but one was the heavily-armed Star Destroyer known as _Tector_.

"Anakin, do you copy?" Obi-Wan asked via comms.

Anakin answered promptly. "Yes, Master. I copy, go ahead."

"Congratulations," said the Jedi Council member. "It looks like your mission was a success."

Anakin shook his head even though his former master couldn't see it. "Only partially, Master. We didn't hit the bridge, so odds are Grievous is still alive. Additionally, all our squadrons have sustained heavy losses. Our only hope is to recover those stranded fighters that got hit by _Malevolence's_ ion cannon and find some survivors."

"You and the others did what you could, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "What matters is that _Malevolence_ looks to be heavily damaged and Kaliida Shoals is still intact. Time to head back, we'll finish what you blokes started."

The Star Destroyers opened fire as the Y-wings, ARC-170s, and _Blade of Dorin_ landed in the ventral hangar they had launched from. It had been a rough battle, but the pilots could at least rest knowing that countless patients aboard the medical station were now safe from _Malevolence_ thanks to their efforts and the sacrifices of their fallen comrades.

 **ME: I added ARC-170s because I think it would make sense to give the Y-wings an escort, plus they seemed to have been introduced around this time period.**

 **Considering Grievous canonically fired on escape pods AFTER the jig was up just to uphold his reputation, in his own words, letting the medical transports float helplessly in space so they can piss themselves in fear as he blows up Kaliida may as well be jaywalking by comparison.**

 **I hope this was a decent adaptation, guys. Any ideas for this fic or TECD will be appreciated.**


	41. Conclusion for Malevolence

**ME: Time for my adaptation of the Malevolence trilogy to reach its conclusion.**

Senator Amidala, I am pleased to see that you have agreed to meet with Chairman San Hill of the IBC on my behalf. If we can get the Banking Clan to cease their business with the Separatist Alliance, it can force our enemies to surrender faster and save lives on both sides of this terrible conflict. You have no idea how grateful I am for your decision.

 **(Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, speaking in private to Senator Padmé Amidala)**

 _Malevolence_ may have been damaged thanks to the destruction of her primary weapons, but the mighty Separatist warship was still operational. As a result, _Malevolence_ turned away from the Kaliida Shoals Medical Center and began a retreat, the Republican warships bombarding her as they pursued.

"Captain, what is the extent of the damage to the enemy ship?" Obi-Wan asked the CO of _Resolute_.

"Sir, _Malevolence's_ been heavily damaged," the Captain of _Resolute_ answered, "but she remains sufficiently well-armored and shielded to withstand our attack."

"We must summon reinforcements," Plo stated. Assets were scarce for the Republic, but a target like _Malevolence_ was more than worth additional warships.

"Good news and bad news, Master Plo," Anakin said as he walked up to the two Jedi Masters. "We made contact with Master Luminara, but she's currently occupied dealing with a fleet of Separatist reinforcements nearby. Until they're dealt with, they can't offer any support."

"Understood," said Obi-Wan. "We'll make do with what we have."

A few minutes later, Serra frowned and contacted Captain Helaw aboard _Tector_. "Captain, why haven't the enemy attempted to flee into hyperspace?" she asked. "They should've been able to calculate a jump by now."

The Judicial veteran's holographic form conferred with an unseen officer and smiled. "General Keto, _Tector's_ sensors indicate that _Malevolence_ is not powering up her hyperdrive judging by her thermal signature. The enemy may be incapable of hyperspace travel!"

Chad ordered the sensor operator to scan _Malevolence_ , and said sailor delivered a similar report. "We actually have a chance," he said.

Obi-Wan: "Indeed." Then he addressed the bridge crew and said, "Target the bridge, maximum firepower! We have an opportunity to save many lives here, ladies and gentlemen."

"Thank the Force," Anakin muttered in relief. Clones had died trying to take down Malevolence, and it was a blessing to know that their lives had not been sacrificed in vain.

As the Republican warships intensified their efforts, _Resolute's_ sensor operator spoke up. "Generals, a ship just exited hyperspace off the bow of the enemy vessel."

Obi-Wan frowned. "Enemy reinforcements?" If Grievous had gotten help, then why had his fellow Separatists only sent one ship?

"No," the sensor operator said, sounding confused at what he was seeing. "Radar indicates it's actually a Naboo vessel, General Kenobi."

"Check your targets, gunners," Serra ordered. "Wait, what would a Naboo ship be doing out here?"

Anakin spoke up before anyone could offer an answer. "Someone contact that ship!"

Raana, being closest to a comm panel, did the deed. "Republican warship to Naboo vessel, be advised: You have entered a warzone, I say again, this system is unsafe. If you are receiving, please acknowledge immediately. Over."

"This is Senator Padmé Amidala," replied the voice of the Galactic Congresswoman who represented the Chommel sector. "I read you loud and clear, warship."

"Padmé?" said Anakin, concern evident in his voice. "What are you doing out here?!"

"I was informed that the Banking Clan wanted to negotiate ending support for the Separatists! I didn't think I'd enter the middle of a battle."

"Get out of here, now!"

The sensor operator spoke up again. "Sirs, the Senator's ship is being pulled towards _Malevolence_."

Padmé: "Anakin, the enemy has seized my ship with a tractor beam! You must destroy this monstrous vessel, or countless more people will continue to die!"

Anakin closed his eyes and clenched his right hand into a fist. "Admiral, order our ships to stop firing," he told Yularen.

After the Admiral issued the order, with neither Obi-Wan nor Plo objecting, Anakin turned on his heel. "Where do you think you're going?" his former master asked.

"Someone's gotta save her skin," Anakin answered.

In addition to Obi-Wan, Serra and Chad decided to accompany Anakin. Both Raana and Ahsoka volunteered to join the rescue mission, only to be told to stay behind with Plo due to their age and inexperience and not wanting all of the Jedi to get killed in the event of the mission turning into a disaster.

Flying out towards _Malevolence_ , Anakin was able to avoid being detected and fired upon due to the ship being damaged and the droid crew being occupied. At the very least, that was his explanation, while Obi-Wan was more cynical of the notion that they had been able to dock without their actions being noticed by the Separatists.

"Anakin, spinning is not flying," Obi-Wan said as they waited for the airlock to open. "More importantly, we do not-."

The airlock opened, revealing a droid fireteam on patrol.

"-want to be spotted," he finished, activating his lightsaber along with the younger Jedi.

The four B1s panicked and tried to defend themselves, but it didn't even last twenty seconds. "Stay here, R-Two," Anakin ordered.

Soon after the Chosen One's comlink beeped. "Skywalker here," he answered.

"Master, we've made contact with the Senator," Ahsoka said on the other end. "Patching you through now, stand by."

"Padmé?" Anakin asked.

"Anakin?" she replied. "What are you doing onboard, you need to destroy this ship! I overheard the droids talking to Grievous, they're making good progress on repairing the hyperdrive."

"We came to get you out first," he replied. "Then this tin-can'll be blown to the Hells of Corellia."

"I have an idea," said Chad. "Anakin, Serra and I go after the hyperdrive while you and Obi-Wan go get Padmé. I understand prioritizing getting her out, but what if the droids get the hyperdrive working and they jump before we leave? Then as long as we're in hyperspace, trying to jump ship will be very dangerous."

"Good idea, get on it and good luck, Chad," Anakin said. "Ahsoka, anyway we can rendezvous with Padmé?"

Chad and Serra didn't hear Ahsoka's answer, for the two had already begun to make their way towards the hyperdrive chamber. After a considerable amount of time, they made it to the chamber. Aside from two technicians manning a station, the only ones inside the room were repair crews.

Before Chad and Serra could do anything, however, multiple battle droids came into view, along with three droidekas. Unexpectedly, Grievous of all people chose to make an appearance.

"Hello there, Generals," the Kaleesh cyborg stated. "Tell me, Jedi-did either of you really think I'd leave the hyperdrive unguarded?"

"Obi-Wan to Chad, come in," came Obi-Wan's voice in the interior of Chad's helmet. "Do you copy, over?"

"First time I've ever seen you in person, Grievous," Chad said, "and in spite of everything you've pulled, I'm honestly not impressed by what I've seen you even if you did get the drop on the two of us."

Serra understood that Chad had said what he said to warn Obi-Wan and the others without making it too obvious, because even though Grievous would probably be able to fill in the blanks, he may as well avoid helping him along.

"Yeah, I mean, we did lose a lot of pilots," Serra said. "But at least we stopped you from committing what would have been your biggest war crime yet, Grievous. At least their sacrifices amounted to something."

"This ship will survive no matter what you do, Jedi bitch!" Grievous snarled. "Kill them!" he ordered his droids.

Leaping to avoid the volleys of particle bolts, Chad and Serra used the Force to push the droidekas either away from them or into the rest of the droids and Grievous. Making a hasty retreat from the hyperdrive chamber, they were pursued by Grievous throughout _Malevolence_ , only to run into Obi-Wan.

"Master Kenobi?" Serra asked.

"Go!" Obi-Wan yelled. "Get out of here, I'll hold him off! Make sure we have an exit out of here!"

Both Chad and Serra hated leaving people behind, but Obi-Wan, stuffy as he was, was a member of the Jedi Council, so they complied and returned to the airlock where Anakin's freighter had docked. They were unable to raise Anakin and Padmé at all thanks to the droids jamming their transmissions, so the two young Knights settled for securing their avenue of escape.

"Good thing I thought to bring along a contingency," Serra said.

Before long, fortunately, Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan (not to mention R2 and 3PO) were able to make it back before Chad and Serra could be overwhelmed by _Malevolence's_ droid complement. Shortly afterwards, the five Humans and two droids boarded the freighter and detached from _Malevolence_.

"This is General Kenobi to all ships, come in," Obi-Wan said as the freighter accelerated away from _Malevolence_. "Break-break, we have detached from _Malevolence_ , you are free to engage. I say again, you are free to engage."

General Grievous followed in his personal fighter and was accompanied by two squadrons of Vulture droids.

"Good thing this tub has guns," Serra snarked as she used the rotating cannon to fire on the Separatist fighters. "Otherwise we'd probably end up dead, shields or no shields."

The Republican fleet had resumed firing on _Malevolence_ , having done so both due to having felt they had run out of time and Obi-Wan's message having removed much of their reluctance to shoot at the Separatist warship.

"I am afraid that all your efforts were in vain, Jedi," Grievous taunted over an open channel. "Soon _Malevolence_ will be safely in Confederate space and will be repaired for further strikes against the Republic. Your fleet will never stop fearing my attacks."

Anakin shook his head even as he struggled to avoid the fire of Grievous and his Vulture droids. "Dammit," he said. "I thought I had done a number on the bridge computer systems."

"Maybe that gargantuan monster of a vessel has a backup control center deep within the hull," Obi-Wan said. "We saw that ship has an internal transportation system in addition to the ion weapons, after all."

Chad smiled. "Good thing Serra here planned ahead, gentlemen," he said.

"Wait, what?"

 ***CUT TO: _SOULLESS ONE_ ***

Already Grievous had powered up his personal fighter's hyperdrive and given clearance to his subordinates to begin heading towards friendly space the moment _Malevolence_ was ready to do so. He didn't expect the Republican fire to penetrate his flagship's shields, but he wanted to at least try to kill the Jedi and the Senator they had rescued first.

"You fools really thought you could save both the Senator and destroy my ship?!" he taunted via open channel. "You would have had a better chance just not stopping the bombardment of _Malevolence_ for a single second!"

A minute later, Grievous had successfully acquired a target lock on the Jedi freighter and prepared to fire.

Then _Malevolence_ literally exploded from the inside.

The explosion split the ship in two. What was once a great and mighty vessel was now two separate halves that could not stand up to starfighters, let alone capital ships.

Grievous couldn't believe what he saw. Knowing even the destruction of the Jedi freighter would likely be accomplished only by sticking along long enough to be killed, the Supreme Confederate Commander decided to cut his losses and retreat.

 ***CUT TO: VENTRAL HANGAR, GRS _RESOLUTE_ ***

"You did it, Masters!" Raana greeted Serra and the others as they walked down the freighter's landing ramp. "You destroyed _Malevolence_!"

"It was a team effort, Raana," Chad said. "And Masters Anakin, Keto, and Obi-Wan as well as Senator Amidala probably contributed more towards that ship going down in flames. Or literally blowing up, to be more accurate."

"I must admit, I never expected the Separatists' mystery weapon to be destroyed from the inside out," said Plo Koon. "Congratulations are in order for all of you, I suppose. I do wonder how that explosion was arranged."

Serra shrugged. "Hey, a small pure fusion nuke isn't so effective if you're attempting to penetrate ray shields, but if it goes off _inside_ a ship..."

 **ME: Okay, guys, college is a harsh mistress. So I sincerely apologize, but expect progress on this story and TECD to be very slow if at all. I don't want to abandon my AU and leave you all hanging, but my time is limited and I don't want to churn out crappy updates because I can't devote more time and effort either. Hope this was alright, y'all. I ended up skimping on things just out of time and wanting to get out an update, so this probably was garbage compared to my normal work. For that, I am sorry.**

 **I actually considered making Anakin's freighter _Ghost_ or at least a VCX, but even as a Shout-Out it wouldn't fit. On the other hand, I left the freighter unnamed because after _Twilight_ crashed on Tatooine and became a target for Jawas, there probably wouldn't be much for Anakin to retrieve. Funny enough, I had the idea of Separatist officers just under Grievous and Taan. General Tian Zhao from Black Ops 2? Then again, I reference too much other stuff already.**

 **As for the tactical pure fusion nuke-I hoped that was a logical choice.**

 **As always, ideas and praise are appreciated. Criticism, if constructive, can at least be helpful even if I don't like looking at it as much for obvious reasons.**


	42. Unsafe Homefront

**ME: Rest in peace, Ron Glass. Rest in peace. This is coming from a proud browncoat. This is also a chapter I bet few of you would expect.**

The Omnica Corporation is now under investigation by the Judicial Investigation Bureau due to allegations of fraud. Once an enterprising droid manufacturer famed for the use of automated factory ships and self-improvement software algorithms to produce intelligent droids known as omnics, Omnica has suffered from low productivity due to their factory ships, known as omniums, malfunctioning. Experts say that this and their new legal troubles could lead to the end of the Omnica Corporation.

 **(Excerpt from a HoloNet News business article)**

Chad had known since he was a youngling that the Jedi functioned as peacekeepers, and had grown up expecting to chase after and bring dangerous fugitives to justice. The war may have drawn most of the Order's Masters, Knights, and Padawans towards the frontline, but that didn't change the fact that Jedi could still serve the public in ways that did not involve leading clone troops into battle.

So now he, Anakin, Serra, Ahsoka, and Raana, not to mention quite a few of their clones, had been assigned to assist the CSF in crowd control. It would be good practice in the event they were sent to garrison a retaken Separatist world, and a significant number of anti-authority protests were going on in Galactic City. Unfortunately, a Jedi Master named Jorus C'Baoth and his former Padawan, Jedi Knight Lorana Jinzler, had been given command of the GAR units involved. While Chad and the other Knights didn't dislike Lorana, Jorus C'Baoth was a controversial figure at best among many Jedi and they knew the reasons for it. C'Baoth was pretty arrogant for a Jedi Master, apparently viewed non-Forcefuls as inferior, and it was rumored that he even treated Lorana poorly as a Padawan, though she had never filed a complaint or accused him of abuse. While Chad knew better than to openly complain in front of his men and apprentice and undermine their morale and confidence in the chain of command, he remained ambivalent at best about taking orders from C'Baoth.

"Alien lives matter!" chanted one of the main protest groups, a number of Alien Lives Matter members, as they marched towards the GCPD Headquarters. "Alien lives matter!"

Chad frowned and turned to C'Baoth. "What are they worked up about, Master C'Baoth?" he asked. "I haven't been keeping up on local events."

C'Baoth snorted. "Some Rodian male with a criminal record was fatally shot by a Human policeman on Level Thirteen-Twenty-Five, Skywalker. That's what's agitated these dregs of society, apparently, among other shootings."

Chad raised an eyebrow, though the Jedi Master would not be able to see his reaction. "Wait, that's an Underworld level," he pointed out. "Therefore, it doesn't fall under GCPD's jurisdiction. So why protest here? Why not demonstrate outside of Underworld Police Plaza?"

A new voice said, "Because too many people don't appreciate the hard work of our brave boys and girls in uniform!"

Chad resisted the urge to groan audibly as he turned on his heel. It was Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb, the head of the CSF. More crime kingpin (or, more charitably, politician) than public servant, despite various efforts by the more honest of Coruscant Loeb had never been held accountable once in his life or career for all the crimes he had been accusing of committing or allowing to happen. He didn't like C'Baoth and didn't trust him, but Loeb was without a doubt even worse.

"Commissioner Loeb," greeted C'Baoth. "Unless your presence is intended to show support for your subordinates, it is unnecessary. I have the situation under control."

"No justice, no peace!" yelled a lead ALM protestor.

"NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!" the crowd repeated. "NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!"

So far, no objects had been thrown or fists sent flying, but Chad had ordered his soldiers to keep their weapons set to stun and kept at the ready just in case things escalated. A mixture of organic officers and police droids formed a line in order to keep the protestors from storming GCPD HQ, with a number of clones stationed behind them.

Chad decided to try his hand at diplomacy and extend a verbal olive branch, removing his helmet as he approached the ALM demonstrators in an effort to present a face while putting in an earpiece. "Citizens, please remain calm," he said, hands raised in the air in an effort to placate the crowd. "There is an ongoing investigation into-."

"CHECK YOUR HUMAN MALE PRIVILEGE, JEDI PIG!" a Twi'lek woman cut him off.

 _Well fuck you too, bitch,_ he thought. _It's not as if we Jedi go out of their way to try and take criminals alive, and our leader just so happens to be an alien whose species is incredibly rare-._

Suddenly there was the discharge of a weapon, and Chad felt a disturbance in the Force as C'Baoth died.

"The fuck?!" he yelled, whipping out his lightsaber as he did.

A second shot hit a stunned Commissioner Loeb in the neck, spraying blood over his suit and the ground. The riot cops scrambled for cover and ordered the civilians to evacuate, who were now screaming and running, only for Chad to hear a third report and see an officer fall down bleeding from a wound to the head.

"Officer down, officer down!" shouted out a voice he recognized as belonging to Divo, who apparently had been promoted to Lieutenant.

Chad tapped his earpiece. "This is General Chad Skywalker to CSF Dispatch, come in," he said, managing to keep his voice calm. "We got shots fired outside of GCPD HQ, repeat, shots fired outside of GCPD HQ. Requesting backup-."

A fourth shot perforated the breastplate of one of Chad's men, a Sergeant who had been recently promoted from Corporal on Sixes's recommendation.

"NO!" Chad shouted. He seized a grip on the trooper with the Force and hauled him to cover. "Medic! We need a medic over here!"

A medic checked on the casualty before shaking his head. "Sorry, sir," he said.

Chad had known the dead trooper was a goner, but he had reacted emotionally, not logically. Putting his helmet back on, he yelled, "Anyone have eyes on the shooter?!"

There was a chorus of negative replies. A fifth shot rang out, hitting a fleeing civilian in the leg.

"AGH!" she screamed. "SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEASE!"

The medic who had checked on the trooper popped his head up, only to be hit in the helmet and go down.

"THERE HE IS!" Sixes yelled.

"WASTE THE KRIFFER!"

Clone and CSF blaster rifles sent a storm of particle bolts in the direction of the shooter.

Chad joined up with Anakin and ran around the side to where the shooter was pinned down. A bulky-looking Rodian male, the shooter turned towards them and aimed his rifle at the twin Jedi.

Not giving him a chance to get off a seventh shot, Anakin and Chad both sent the murderer flying backwards with the Force. The Rodian hit a parked repulsortruck, dying on impact.

"Burn in hell, you son of a schutta!" Chad snarled. It was already personal the moment a 182nd Legionnaire had fallen, but shooting a medic put the killer further over the line. He had wanted to take the Rodian alive for interrogation, but at least he was no longer a threat and would never again kill any clones or police officers.

His helmet comlink beeped, and Chad answered it. "Chad, it's me!" Mace said, his voice uncharacteristically unemotional. "I just heard reports of an active shooter down by GCPD HQ, are you okay?"

"Yes, Master," responded Chad. "Shooter's down, I say again, it looks like we got the shooter." He picked up the rifle. "Rodian, like he was using a magnetic weapon of some kind." After investigating the corpse, he added, "Guy was wearing a vest under his shirt, looks like he wasn't some typical nut. C'Baoth's dead, as is Commissioner Loeb and one GCPD officer. I got two of my men down and at least one wounded civilian."

"Get the area locked down before you do anything else," Mace ordered. "This shooter may not have acted alone, and the last thing we need is for GCPD HQ to be blown off the face of the planet."

"Wilco, Mace," Chad said. "Thanks for checking up on me, I'll get the GCPD secured. Chad out."

Hauling the Rodian's corpse back with them, Anakin and Chad ran into Lorana, who had just run out of the GCPD. "There's an active shooter in the vicinity of CSF HQ," she said. For someone who had just had their former mentor shot, the older Jedi Knight seemed to be holding up well.

"Damn," Anakin cursed. "Has Commander Fox been notified?"

"Affirmative, Master Skywalker. Additionally, the Senate Guard and Temple Security Force have been informed as well as the Judicial Investigation Bureau."

Serra walked over, shaking her head. "Medics've stabilized the civvy," she said. "An ambulance is on the way to get her out. The one time we don't get a full-scale riot and this happens."

"Let's just set up a secure perimeter, Serra," Chad suggested. "Nothing we can do about the shooter now, and there could be more out there."

The Jedi, clones, and police got to work. Ahsoka and Raana helped Divo and his riot cops lock down the building's entrances, while Chad, Serra, Anakin, and Lorana led the troopers as they spread out and secured the nearby buildings. Snipers took up position on the rooftop of the GCPD as well, in order to keep a lockout for any more shooters.

"Sir, over here!" Sixes said.

"What is it, Sixes?" Chad asked.

"General Skywalker, I've got eyes on a Rodian male with a rifle," the commander answered. "Say again, I have a visual on an armed Rodian approaching. However, he doesn't have his hands on the rifle."

Chad ignited his lightsaber and ordered Sixes and his troopers to cover him. The Rodian male, approaching with his hands clear of the rifle he was carrying via a strap, was wearing a camouflage t-shirt and jeans and accompanied by a few other people.

"What are you guys doing here?" Chad snapped, more irritable than normal. "We just had an active shooter, citizens. You're lucky my troopers aren't trigger-happy."

"Master Jedi, I helped organized this protest but we had nothing to do with that shooter," said another Rodian. "My brother and I didn't want to see anyone to die today, he was just coming over here to hand over his laser rifle and ask what he could do to help."

Chad made a quick decision. "Okay, thanks for the rifle," he said as he took it. "I need you all to come inside the GCPD."

"Wait, what? We didn't do anything!"

Chad: "There's gonna be an investigation, and your faces were probably seen by a surveillance cam. If you all cooperate, it'll be easier to be exonerated."

The Rodian who had handed over the rifle sighed. "All right, all right," he said.

The protestors were herded into GCPD HQ after being searched, while Chad handed over the rifle to the clerk at the front desk. Just as Lorana contacted the Temple to inform the Council that the area around the GCPD had been secured, Anakin's wrist comlink beeped.

"Skywalker here," he answered.

"Anakin, it's me," replied the voice of the Supreme Chancellor. "I heard about the shooting at GCPD HQ, are you alright?"

"Yes, Your Excellency," Anakin said. "Thankfully, we were able to locate the shooter and take him out before he could get away. Master C'Baoth is dead, as is Commissioner Loeb, one police officer, and two clones from my brother's legion."

"How tragic. Fortunately, Commander Fox has assured me that he is handling the active shooter near CSF HQ, so you can simply stay in the vicinity of GCPD and handle security there, Anakin. Regardless, I have sent a platoon of Marines to reinforce your position."

"Thank you, sir." Anakin didn't feel like they needed reinforcements, but he hoped to use the Marine Corps transports to head over to help take down the CSF shooter.

Lorana turned on her heel after ending her call. "I just received word from Master Yoda," she said. "We are to stay here and help maintain security until further notice."

Anakin frowned. "But there's an active shooter near CSF HQ last I checked," he protested. "Shouldn't that be a bigger concern?"

Lorana nodded. "I understand your frustration, Skywalker," she said in a polite tone. "However, even without the possibility of additional shooters attacking here, fear will doubtlessly spread like wildfire as word of the shooting gets out. Jedi are respected by both local police and the general populace. The six of us can be a beacon of unity and bring a sense of calm to Coruscant Security and ordinary citizens."

Soon enough, two Marine gunships bearing the platoon Palpatine had promised came into view and offloaded their passengers. The platoon commander, a Second Lieutenant, approached the Jedi.

"General Jinzler?" asked the Lieutenant, a young woman with black hair and brown eyes.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" replied Lorana.

"Lieutenant Stanton reporting for duty, ma'am. Sorry we couldn't get here sooner."

"It isn't your fault some douchebag decided to kill five people, Lieutenant," Chad said.

At Lorana's order, Stanton and her Marines reinforced the clone defense of the surrounding area. The bodies of the dead, particularly Master C'Baoth, had been carried away out of sight. Word would get out, but a holocam droid getting a picture of a Jedi Master's bloody corpse outside of GCPD HQ was not something anyone wanted and was to be avoided if at all possible.

Hours later, Mace contacted Lorana and informed her that the active shooter that had opened fire in the vicinity of CSF HQ had been killed by a bomb disposal droid. Coruscant remained on heightened alert, with reserve GCPD and CUP officers called into service and additional police droids activated in order to increase the CSF's presence. The Temple Security Force and Senate Guard as well as the Coruscant Guard, other clone units, and the Judicial Department aided Coruscant Security in every way they could.

When the Jedi and clones finally left the GCPD behind, Chad knew that things were never going to be the same.

 ***CUT TO: UNKNOWN SECURE FACILITY, CORUSCANT***

"Both Governor Trey Duna and the Coruscant Planetary Senate have condemned the deadly attacks on local police and Grand Army personnel yesterday," said the HoloNet News anchor. "In response to these attacks, the CSF is forming a counter-terrorism group in order to better prevent and neutralize future terrorist-."

Palpatine shut off the holoprojector and turned towards his newest asset. "I have a mission for you related to current events, Operative," he said.

Quiet nodded. "Awaiting orders," she said in a level tone.

"You are to retrieve the corpse of a deceased Jedi Master, a Human male named Jorus C'Baoth." Palpatine pulled out a file containing the relevant information to her. "It is contained in a Galactic City morgue thanks to a datawork error. Lack of records on which exact morgue the corpse was sent to and more important priorities have kept the Jedi Order from gaining custody of the body." The Sith Lord neglected to mention that he had used backdoors he had installed in Coruscant's computer networks to send C'Baoth's corpse to a city morgue and had deleted the information that would have allowed the Jedi to locate and retrieve the body in a timely fashion. "You will go to this morgue in order to get the corpse. Leave no witnesses, Operative."

 ***CUT TO: GALACTIC CITY MORGUE, LEVEL 5032, GALACTIC CITY, CORUSCANT***

After making sure to disable the alarm system, Quiet opened the morgue's emergency exit and hauled in the portable cryo-chamber she had brought over.

Though the Sith-affiliated agent wore a pair of tactical glasses and a respirator to both conceal her identity and provide protection that resulted in her facial expressions being hidden, Quiet's mien was a stoic one befitting her new life and role.

A pudgy guard wearing an open jacket and trousers came around the corner, flashlight in hand. "Hey-."

Quiet aimed her PEP pistol and fired. The invisble laser pulse slammed into the guard and knocked him down.

The only reasons Quiet was using a PEP weapon were to minimize evidence and to keep things as stealthy as possible. After making sure the immediate vicinity was clear, the operative knelt by her groaning victim, got a grip on his jaw, and twisted to the side.

Despite his neck being snapped, unfortunately for the guard he did not die instantly. As a result, Quiet covered his mouth with one hand and crushed his windpipe with the other. Before she was too lean and not muscular enough to easily accomplish such feats, but Lord Sidious had had her biologically augmented, increasing Quiet's strength.

Getting back on her feet, sidearm at the ready, Quiet patrolled the morgue and found that no one else was present in the building. After making sure to secure all potential entrances, she sliced into the morgue's computer network and uploaded a virus that would help erase all evidence that she had ever been inside the building. Quiet then moved to the room where the bodies were stored and began to open chambers within, making sure to only open chambers that contained the remains of Human males.

It took her seven tries, but she was able to successfully identify C'Baoth's corpse via a blood sample. Quiet gently placed the body within the cryo-chamber and sealed it before heading back to the repulsorvan she was using. She also took one of the Human corpses she had taken a blood sample from along with the bodies of two deceased aliens and the dead guard and placed them in the back of the van. If nothing else, the disappearance of three corpses along with C'Baoth's could cause investigators to think that burglars had broken into the morgue and had stolen the bodies, and it wasn't as if Quiet had been careless when killing the guard. But just in case, she made sure to destroy the cameras between the emergency exit and the chamber room.

It took her ninety minutes and a considerable amount of subterfuge, but Quiet was able to return to her base of operations without incident.

Sidious nodded in approval. "Good work, Operative," he said. "That will be all. Now it is time for you to rest until I have need of you again."

Quiet: "Your wish is my command, my lord."

Quiet soon returned to her cryo-chamber and entered suspended animation. In the past, the hyper-lethal woman would've gritted her teeth at being cryogenically frozen, but now she endured the experience without complaint.

Palpatine smiled at his good fortune. _Now if only I could condition, say, some or all of the Jedi survivors from Jabiim to be as obedient as Quiet..._ he thought. _A Dark Side Adept that would obey my every command without ever considering rebellion? Now that would be quite the asset._

 **ME: This was in tribute to the eight police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge who lost their lives this July as well as in reference to Ron Glass's death last week. Rest in peace, gentlemen. Rest in peace.**

 **Before anyone asks, yes, Lieutenant Stanton was a reference to Person of Interest. I still have forty-eight episodes to go, and I look forward to watching them.**

 **Hopefully this wasn't shit. I may end up binge watching TheRadBrad's The Division walkthrough, sorry for my non-progress on TECD. Given how Ahsokafanboy1138's writing an awesome fanfic set in my universe about the Vektans and the Helghast named Udessi, maybe I'll get ideas on how to proceed on Helghan thanks to him. If you guys haven't read Udessi, go check it out right now. The second chapter is out and things are definitely getting interesting. I mean it, boys and girls.**


	43. Spotlight and Shadows

**ME: Merry Christmas, ladies and gentlemen! Here's a present from me. Warning: Things get kind of messy in this chapter, so reader discretion is advised. And yes, I couldn't come up with a better chapter name.**

Psychology is key to establishing and maintaining control. If the masses do not believe restrictions are necessary for their own well-being, then they will chaff and rebel. Convince them to surrender their freedom willingly, and there will be less problems arising from ordinary sentients. That is why putting fear into the hearts of ordinary Coruscanti is just as essential as the clone army and the manipulation of the upper echelons of both the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance.

 **(Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, privately reflecting on the methods undertaken to accomplish the Sith Grand Plan)**

As the oldest of the Jedi assigned to handling crowd control near GCPD HQ, Chancellor Palpatine had selected Lorana to speak at a press conference following the deaths of her former master, Jorus C'Baoth, CSF Commissioner Gillian Loeb, GCPD Officer Henry Glass, and two clone troopers from the 182nd Legion.

"I would like to start things off by commending the actions of the brave men and women who defended all of the Republic yesterday," said Palpatine. "Generals Anakin and Chad Skywalker in particular were key in taking down one of the two vile criminals who launched the attacks on our defenders and I owe the two a debt of gratitude for serving in both the Jedi Order and our Grand Army in this time of crisis. Jedi Knight Lorana Jinzler will now deliver a first-hand account of what happened in the vicinity of the headquarters of the Galactic City Police Department."

Lorana swallowed. Her time under Master C'Baoth had not made her a confident public speaker, but she resolved to do her best. "Yesterday, I along with several other Jedi, including my mentor, the late Master Jorus C'Baoth, were assigned to assist Coruscant Security in response to a large protest organized by the Alien Lives Matter movement in the wake of a recent officer-involved shooting. Unfortunately, while the protest near the GCPD was peaceful, a Rodian male armed with a magnetic weapon opened fire and killed five people, including Master C'Baoth and Commissioner Loeb."

"Master Jinzler, were either of the two shooters Separatists?" asked one reporter just after Lorana paused in order to clear her throat.

She swallowed. "The JIB is currently investigating the matter, I believe," she said.

"You don't know what the Judicials are doing about this, General Jinzler?" another reporter questioned.

"Has the CSF and Jedi Order been undermined by the loss of Master C'Baoth and Commissioner Loeb?"

Lorana: "The Jedi will continue to protect the Republic alongside our clone troops and peace officers."

A fourth reporter shook his head then said, "But are we truly safe? On Coruscant, in the very heart of the Republic, a Jedi Master was brought down by one sniper with a primitive weapon!"

More and more reporters asked questions, recorded videos, and took pictures, overwhelming Lorana.

Palpatine raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Everyone, please calm down," he said in a firm but gentle tone. "The Jedi Council has assured me that what happened yesterday will amount to isolated incidents and that their Order remains committed to reuniting the galaxy and restoring peace."

 ***CUT TO: CENTAX ONE NAVAL BASE, CENTAX-ONE***

In addition to housing as a staging area for the Republic Armed Forces in the Coruscant system, on the surface of the sterile moon of Centax-1 was a secure facility meant to imprison captured Separatists, ranging from captured officers to suspected terrorists and insurgents.

Now Chad and Serra were headed there as part of an investigation into the shootings on Coruscant, while Anakin had opted to venture into the Underworld along with Ahsoka. Raana had wanted to help, but Chad had convinced her to stay at the Temple and help Mace partly to keep his Padawan from being disheartened by what happened on Centax-1.

 _Raana may be a Jedi-in-training,_ Chad thought after they were cleared to land, _but she's still just thirteen. I don't want her to end up jaded at her age even if she's getting shot at with me and the boys._

"You ever heard of the Echani and the Thyrsians?" Serra asked as they landed the freighter they had bowered from Anakin.

Chad shrugged. "I have, but I admit what I know about them's rusty at best," he said.

The two got up from their seats. "The Echani are this Near-Human species that tend to have white hair, pale skin, and silver eyes," continued Serra as they walked out of the freighter. "They have their own martial art discipline and are pretty good at body language and predicting the moves of their opponents. To my lack of surprise, some have theorized they're a result of Arkanian scientists experimenting with Human genes. The Thyrsians are an Echani branch with dark hair and dark skin. While Echani tend to focus on unarmed combat, prefer to fight in minimal clothing, and have matriarchal tendencies, the Thyrsians in contrast are more patriarchal, prefer fighting with weapons-not that the Echani are stupid enough to not use weapons-and are more inclined to wear heavy armor rather than wear light armor or forgo armor in favor of minimal clothing."

Chad nodded. "So the Echani tend to have a high speed, low drag attitude towards combat like you?"

Serra smiled. "You can say that. And I know you aren't a sexist, but you wear a full suit of armor while normally all I do is make use of a vest."

The two Jedi made their way past a security checkpoint, where the couple saw a face they hadn't seen in a while.

"Zule?" asked Serra.

The Falleen Jedi General nodded. "Hey, Serra," she replied. "Heard about what happened back on Triple Zero. Sorry to hear that you lost two of your guys, Chad."

"Thank you, at least I was able to bring their killer to justice," Chad said. "What are you doing here, Zule?"

Zule smiled. "I've been assigned to Special Forces," she said. "It's more my style than infantry or armored warfare, plus I get to work with Marek and the Star Squad. Anyhow, I've been brought in for an interrogation. What are you guys up to?"

Serra: "We're here in order to investigate any possible Sep links to the two shooters. It wouldn't surprise me if we end up interrogating someone before we leave this base."

Zule gestured them forward. "Come with me, then," she said. "I think I've got a possible source of intel for you guys."

The three Jedi Generals proceeded further into the base, where they soon came across an interrogation room. Through the one-way window, they could see an ARC trooper interrogating a Ukian woman. The elite soldier had his helmet on, but for Chad his presence in the Force felt vaguely familiar.

"That bitch was caught trying to smuggle a bioweapon onto Chandrila," Zule explained. "Intel believes she was trying to target the local crops, and Isard's signed off on enhanced interrogation techniques."

Chad nodded. "Why don't we offer that hardworking ARC some help, then?" he suggested.

Zule nodded and pressed a button, signaling to the ARC that they wanted to speak with him. The man got up out of his chair and was soon outside.

"Greetings, Generals," said the ARC as he saluted.

Chad returned the salute. "Lieutenant Jaing?" he asked.

"Yes, sir, glad to see you recognized me," replied the clone whose ID number was N-10 rather than an "A" designation like Alpha or Fordo. "Moz and Olun are doing great, General Skywalker. I can see why you recommended them. Do you need anything, sir?"

"In light of the shootings from yesterday," Chad explained, "we'd like an opportunity to help with the interrogation. No confirmation on whether the shooters were CIS-affiliated or not, and it admittedly is probably unlikely, but it'd be nice to make sure and for all we know this Sep's part of a larger terrorist network in the Core. You rough her up yet?"

"Not yet," Jaing replied. "It might seem counterintuitive, but I've only been in there for about five minutes and torture can just lead to a suspect lying to make it stop, so it's not perfect. But with you three, General Skywalker, I trust that you as well as General Keto and General Xiss can help tell if she's lying or not."

"We Jedi are better at lie detection then your average being, Lieutenant," Chad said. "Why don't we give it a try?"

"Agreed, sir."

The four entered the room. "I demand legal counsel!" the female Ukian yelled. "Don't lie to me about being an unlawful combatant, clone, I know my rights! I'm a horticulturist, not a bioterrorist!"

Chad grabbed the prisoner by her shirt and lifted the Ukian out of her chair. "Right, because horticulturists carry around bioweapons designed to target crops in their starships," he said before shoving her back down. "Isn't that right, Lieutenant?"

"Indeed, sir," answered Jaing. "I made sure to check-subject definitely wasn't picked up for driving an unregistered or stolen ship and her credentials are without a doubt fake. So she definitely isn't a horticulturist."

"You Jedi jackboot!" the woman snarled. "You and your clone slaves will never get away with serving as Palpatine's henchmen! I swear, I will have your light-."

Zule cut the prisoner off by punching her in the face with her mechanical left arm. "Just tell us what we want to know and for all we know things might get easier for you," she said. "Or you can continue to have a painful day and we can be left with more blood to clean up."

"Why don't you start by telling us whether or not you're part of a bigger network?" suggested Serra. "C'mon, that's a simple yes or no answer."

"I have nothing to do with the Seps, so kark you!"

Serra sighed. "Zule?"

The Falleen Jedi Knight grabbed the Ukian by her neck with her right arm and lifted her into the air before punching her in the groin with her left arm. As the Ukian screamed in pain, Zule leaned into her face and said, "You keep lying, you keep hurting."

"Okay, okay!" the Ukian pleaded. "I sympathize with the CIS!"

Jaing shook his head. "They're gonna want more then that, Miss," he said.

Suddenly Chad's comlink beeped, prompting him to tap at his helmet. "Sir, this is Commander Sixes!" said the top clone of the 182nd. "We've just received word that Humbarine is under attack, do you copy?"

"Skywalker here, Sixes," Chad replied after muting his speakers. "I copy, get the boys ready to move. I'll alert General Keto."

 **ME: A cliffhanger, I know.**

 **Merry Christmas (and Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish fans), guys. I hope this didn't suck. I may actually be taking an original route for now and next chapter. Unfortunately, I'll be on vacation from the 26th to New Year's Day, so expect further delays. And I may have written myself into a corner with TECD.**

 **I dedicate this one to Richard Martin, an HPD officer who was run over by a suspect last year. Few people probably know his name, so after looking up fallen Houston cops I decided to pay tribute to him.**

 **I got my Echani/Thyrsian info off of Wookieepedia, sorry for any inaccuracies and/or if it felt out of place, ladies and gents.**


	44. Chapter 44

**ME: I'm just about ready to start watching SWTOR videos again, perhaps after trying out Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail. Anyhow, here's an update. Rest in peace, Carrie Fisher. Rest in peace. Same to you, Reverend King. Sorry, guys, but I literally couldn't come up with a decent name for this chapter.**

Humbarine is the capital of an industrialized Core sector. If we raise the Confederate flag there, Mr. President, then perhaps the Republic's citizens will be more inclined to demand that their government open negotiations to end the war.

 **(Pong Krell, Confederate Minister of Defense, speaking to President Tikkes)**

The fact that it was Humbarine that had fallen under attack and not some Outer Rim backwater ensured that the response from the Republican leadership was swift.

"Director Isard, I know that Skako, another Core World ecumenopolis, is under the control of the Separatists," Chancellor Palpatine said as the meeting began. "But I do wonder how Humbarine was invaded in the first place. First Kuat, now this."

Armand Isard did not blink before saying, "Your Excellency, the Humbarine sector's defenses are not as strong as those of the Coruscant or Kuat sectors." The Director of Republic Intelligence pulled out a datapad. "Unfortunately, sir, we have little information on the nature of the incursion. The distress call was cut off before any details could be transmitted, and we've had no further contact with anyone in the Humbarine system since."

Palpatine frowned. "The Humbarine sector is a rich and heavily industrialized one," he said. "To be unable to discern any information on the nature of this attack, even with the likelihood of the Confederacy jamming us..."

Isard shook his head. "War is not a simple manner, Supreme Chancellor," he said. "And I advise that you do not refer to the Separatists as 'Confederates' or 'the Confederacy,' sir, even in private. The use of such terms will only legitimize in the eyes of the masses the gravest threat the Republic has faced in generations."

"Of course, Director Isard. Master Yoda, what Jedi Generals and clone units do we have to spare? Can you or any other Jedi Councilors take charge of the situation?"

The old Jedi nodded. "The only Councilor I can spare, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi is," he said. "Be most helpful in repealing the Separatist invasion, he and his Galactic Marines will be."

"Send every ship, soldier, and Jedi we have to spare, Master Yoda," Palpatine ordered. "Master Mundi will need all the resources he can."

Isard raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, Chancellor," he said, "but what if another emergency develops and we have no reinforcements to send? Without a significant reserve, the Republic will be left vulnerable."

Palpatine: "Director, if the Separatists gain control of Humbarine, then they will be able to retool its factories and use them to produce droids. We cannot lose that planet or its sector."

Yoda coughed briefly and said, "Defend Humbarine, Master Mundi and his forces will. Fail the citizens of the Republic, the Order will not."

Palpatine smiled. "That is good to hear, Master Yoda.

 ***CUT TO: CENTAX ONE NAVAL BASE, CENTAX ONE***

An experienced Jedi Master who had trained under Yoda and having fought for eight years in the trenches of his war-torn homeworld even before being found by Mace Windu at age eighteen, Rahm Kota was an unconventional Jedi at best even if he was committed to the Order. Distrustful of clone troopers and believing them to be unfit for battle, Kota had formed his own military unit that consisted of birth-born volunteers. Therefore, Kota was surprised when the Jedi Council had assigned him to Master Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"Know of your feelings on the clone troopers, the Council and I do," Master Yoda had told him. "But limited our options are. Repeal this Separatist incursion, we must. Work with your fellow Jedi and their clone subordinates in order to succeed in this you must, Master Kota."

Kota was unenthusiastic about working with clones and viewed the Jedi who trusted them as at least mildly naive, for he did not trust that a group of genetically-engineered soldiers loyal to the Republic solely due to indoctrination, but the Jedi Master would settle for professional indifference.

Unfortunately, Captain Zozridor Slayke, the Commodore in charge of the squadron of corvettes used by Kota to transport his soldiers, had evidently not been as discrete. A former Judicial officer who had gone vigilante along with his crew during the Separatist Crisis before the war had broken out, Kota had recruited the redhead man because Slayke seemed to be a competent officer given his achievements. Being even less fond of clones than Kota and critical of some of the younger Jedi that had ascended to Knighthood due to manpower shortages, now it seemed Slayke had actually been detained.

Kota strode into the brig, where Anakin Skywalker stood outside a cell along with a Captain whose armor possessed the blue and white paintjob used by the 501st Legion.

"Master Kota," Skywalker said. "I see you're who Captain Slayke reports to. In case you're wondering, Master, I've had Slayke detained for disrespecting a superior officer."

Kota resisted the urge to sigh-it was a bad situation already, so all he could hope to do was salvage it. "I'm sorry to hear that, General Skywalker," he said. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. But in the meantime, I can't get a replacement for the Commodore, so he will not be court-martialed. You'll have to settle for a reprimand."

The prophesied Chosen One of the Jedi Order nodded, still annoyed by Slayke's actions but willing to bow to pragmatism. "Fine by me, Master Kota. If you can tell Slayke to not make disparaging comments about me or my men, that would be great."

A guard opened Slayke's cell. The officer smiled and opened his mouth, only to fall silent when Kota glared and cut him off.

"Not one word, Commodore," he ordered in a low but sharp tone. "I may not be fonder to the concept, let alone practice, of clones as soldiers, but I am not going to have you jeopardize an operation of this magnitude because of your own personal prejudices. You are an officer of the Republic Armed Forces and you will damn well at least act like one. Am I understood?"

Slayke nodded. "Sir, yes, sir," he said in compliance.

"Good. Now follow me, we have a briefing to attend."

Numerous officers, including a young First Lieutenant named Nolan Gillmuun, the son of Kota's second-in-command within the Militia, Colonel Orliss Gillmuun, who was currently serving as an aide to General Aubrie Wyn, one of the few Jedi who had survived Jabiim.

Master Mundi began the briefing without pomp or ceremony. "I'm not going to put a false spin on the situation, gentlebeings," said the old and wise Cerean. "Our chief foe, the Separatist Alliance, has invaded the Humbarine system. Should that industrialized sector fall to the self-styled Confederacy, not only will the morale of the ordinary citizens we have sworn to protect be dealt a severe blow but the enemy will gain both a foothold in the Core Worlds and a new potential center of manufacturing for their war machine. As such, this battle will be a critical one that will require each individual's very best efforts, for anything less will lead to failure and excessive casualties. Unfortunately, due to communications being jammed we know little of the current situation in the Humbarine system beyond the fact that it has been attacked. The Humbarine sector possesses a strong defense fleet that includes one of the seven _Mandator_ -class Star Dreadnoughts produced by KDY prior to the start of the war. However, we may not be able to count on any of Humbarine's own vessels to aid us. Regardless, my fellow sentients, the Force is with us. Trust in It, and we will prevail. 'Do or do not, there is no try,' is a personal saying of Master Yoda's. Why is that?"

Mundi paused for effect. "Because merely trying is setting yourself up to fail, gentlebeings. So commit to achieving victory and victory will be ours. I look forward to leading all of you into battle, dismissed."

The mood of most of Mundi's subordinates in the room had shifted. While they were still uncertain about what they would face, their confidence in themselves and each other had been raised.

 ***CUT TO: QUARTERS OF DEFENSE MINISTER PONG KRELL, CSS _PROCURER_ ***

"This is taking too long," complained Grievous as the last remaining Humbariner warship, a _Mandator_ -class Star Dreadnought, tried in vain to stop the Confederate assault on her while he and Krell observed via a holotable. "These so-called dreadnoughts had their hyperdrive and armament capabilities limited under Republican law, and you told me that your source indicated that it had not been upgraded since the war began, Minister."

Krell resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Perhaps if you hadn't cost the Confederacy _Malevolence_ , Grievous, we wouldn't have this problem," he retorted. "More importantly, that Humbariner vessel is still a warship and has cost us a few frigates and destroyers-hell, it even took out one of the new Bulwarks. Besides, what we have hovering above Humbarine right now is doing the real damage."

The intercom beeped. "Krell here," the fallen Jedi Master said after answering it.

"Minister Krell," came the voice of Captain Mar Tuuk, "we are detecting incoming ships coming out of hyperspace."

The Besalisk Sith Lord smiled. "Prepare my personal shuttle, Captain," he ordered. "Oh, and make sure General Grievous's fighter is ready for him as well."

"Right away, sir," the Neimoidian officer replied.

Seconds later, Admiral Dua Ningo, the aging Sullustan commander placed in charge of both the Bulwark Fleet and the other Confederate ships attacking Humbarine, contacted Krell. "Defense Minister, Republican reinforcements have entered the system. The Humbariner dreadnought's on her last legs, once she's destroyed I'll engage the enemy fleet. The transports will be prioritized, sir."

"Negative, Admiral," Krell countered. "Target the combat-oriented warships, we've got the ground covered."

"But, sir," Ningo protested, "that will allow the clones to land-."

Krell raised a hand and closed two of his fingers. "I'd rather not lose the warships the Skakoans spent so much time constructing, Admiral," he said, "which will happen if you prioritize an Acclamator over a Venator. Now shut your mouth unless you got something useful to say and do your damn job as I've ordered you to. Is that clear?"

"Y-yes, s-sir," the Sullustan officer choked out.

"Good." Krell released his Force-grip on Ningo. "Now if you excuse me, I have important work to do."

 ***CUT TO: GUNSHIP APPROACHING HUMBARINE***

"Sir, looks like the spaceport General Kota wants to land his ship at is pretty close to the frontline," reported the pilot of Chad and Raana's gunship. Normally as a military officer Chad would want to keep a distance from his second-in-command to avoid both of them getting killed in a single attack, but he needed to keep an eye on his new Padawan and had compromised by making sure Sixes was on a separate gunship.

"How close, Captain?" asked Raana in a polite tone. Chad thought she was a bit uptight for a teenager, but the young Togruta wasn't as annoying like some would expect of someone her age and he appreciated Raana's courtesy towards the clones.

"Close enough that we're getting distress calls from local security forces, Commander," the pilot answered. "They're literally begging for help, ma'am."

"So very close. Thank you, Captain."

"Well, we can't land too far away," Chad said. "But this nevertheless means we've got to work as hard as ever, gents."

The troopers yelled out, "Sir, yes, sir!" then got back to work preparing for battle. Raana spoke briefly on her comlink with Ahsoka then adopted a solemn expression on her face. Had it not been for the Force, Chad would have thought she was completely calm about going into battle.

 _Hey, at least her body language isn't making the boys anxious,_ he thought. _But hey, I gotta applaud the guts to charge into battle with only robes to protect her from any bolts that make it past her lightsaber at thirteen. Don't worry, Raana, I'm here for you and our guys._

"Ten minutes!" called the pilot.

"T-minus ten minutes, boys and girls!" Chad said, grateful that his helmet gave him access to the same intel the clones had-more, actually, in light of his rank. "We're not going in to smash up clankers, we're going in to save civilians from a certain monster who goes by Grievous. Is that understood?!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" and "Yes, Master!" were shouted in response.

"Stang, you guys are quiet! I didn't hear anything, sound off like you mean it!"

"SIR, YES, SIR!"

"YES, MASTER!"

Chad smiled even though no one could see his face. "I hear Humbarine's a manufacturing center. Let's make sure these tin-cans end up in the recycling bin so they can be made into something useful!"

"Fierfek, SAM watch!" yelled the pilot.

"Hold on!" the copilot added as the gunship took evasive action.

A missile hit one of the two engines. A few of the clones and Raana yelped as the pilots tried to get the larty back under control. Once it was clear their effort were in vain, however, the pilot yelled, "Hold on, we're going down!"

"Skywalker to Sixes, come in!" Chad said into his comlink. "I'm going down, repeat, my ship's going down! Do you copy, over?"

"Solid copy, sir," said Sixes, concern leaking into his voice despite him trying to keep things professional. "I'll do my best on my own if it comes to it, General."

"Good man."

The LAAT/i crashed in a deserted area. Both of the laser turret gunners were killed and the pilot was badly injured, but fortunately there were no more serious casualties.

"We gotta get him out of here!" Chad yelled, removing the canopy.

"Just l-leave me, boss," the pilot coughed out, unable to move. "You gotta get to s-safety. I'm not worth all of you."

Raana gripped his hand in a manner in order to encourage. "We don't leave people behind," she said. "My master taught me that, even if attach-."

"C'mon, Raana!" Chad cut her off. "We gotta get this guy moving!" He knew it seemed harsh, but time was of the essence.

After the pilot had been extracted from the cockpit and put on a stretcher, there was an attempt to contact them. "Chad, are you okay?!" asked one of his best friends growing up, Nahdar, who had been Knighted since Geonosis. "Where are you?! We're taking heavy fire, the Seps REALLY want this spaceport!"

"I'm here, Nahdar," answered Chad, knowing the young Mon Calamari was undoubtedly on edge from being under fire with his men. "We got wounded, so it could be awhile until I get there unless we get a gunship for casevac. Sorry, may the Force be with you."

"Goo-KRIFF!" Nahdar yelled unexpectedly. Combat could get even the most forceful of Jedi (no pun intended) like Nahdar unnerved.

Another Jedi contacted him sometime after. "Skywalker, this is Kota," said the older Jedi. "Comms check, over."

"Reading you five-by-five, Master," Chad responded as he kept moving with the others. The wounded pilot slowed them down, but no one wanted to abandon him. "If you heard about my situation, Master Kota, I would really appreciate a gunship for getting my-."

Kota interrupted by saying, "Skywalker, be advised: Scans indicate that there's an omnium attacking the planet."

Chad frowned. "Wait, what?" he asked, confused. " _An_ _omnium?_ Say again, Master Kota, it sounded like you said an omnium was attacking. Over."

"It is," Kota said. "We've got an omnium literally extracting resources from the city to use to manufacture Vulture droids. It's not in visual range of the spaceport I want as an LZ, but that's not the problem. Additionally, scans indicate that it's gotten a wraparound ray shield and weapons for added protection."

Chad felt his blood run cold. _That thing can literally use the city against us,_ he thought. "Understood."

 ***CUT TO: CONFEDERATE LANDING ZONE, HUMBARINE***

Krell coldly smiled, for he had seen the omnium eating away at Humbarine while aboard his shuttle and took pleasure from the fear felt by the planet's inhabitants of the improvised weapon of war.

 _Fear, anger,_ hate _...the top fuels of the dark side,_ he thought. _So much more useful than so-called_ serenity _!_

"I trust your time here was productive, Ventress?" he asked his assassin. The bald Near-Human was ultimately disposable, but still very much a useful asset he would not want to throw away unless she forgot her place and couldn't be reminded or otherwise became more trouble than she was worth.

"Yes, I was able to cut off their communications exactly as you asked, Master, then headed here per your orders," Ventress said. "I await your next command, my lord."

"We've got Jedi to hunt, Commander," the Basilisk told her. "The fear the Republic will be drowning in once some insignificant weakling posts a video on YouHolo showing our omnium in action will be a nice cake, yes, but cake is so much better with icing."

Both knew that dead Jedi would make for good "icing."

 **ME: This probably wasn't that good, but I wanted to get something out before college starts tomorrow. Hopefully it didn't suck too much.**

 **The Bulwark fleet is a bit early, I think. I had them come from Skako because if the shipyards they were made in were under siege, how the hell did they go unnoticed with a blockade around Foerost?**

 **The omnium here is essentially a watered down World Devastator.**

 **Slayke is kind of a prick, so that's why Anakin threw him in the brig, even if he is A Father to His Men. I haven't seen anything of TFU in a while and won't because of wanting to read/watch Legends stuff in order, but Ahsokafanboy1138 figured Kota would be more of a professional when dealing with clones even if he doubtlessly won't get invited to drinks with them anytime soon (not that he'd accept the invitation).**

 **I think Anakin would be involved in space combat here. Perhaps all the surviving Jedi from Jabiim are involved (save Obi-Wan), though I don't know what to do with them yet here. Hence keeping things relatively vague on who's present and what they're doing.**


	45. Twilight of Humbarine

**ME: Okay, this may be my last TFM update for a while, but rest assured I hope you guys enjoy this and thank you for taking the time to read my stories.**

There is no light, there is no dark. There is only the Force, eternal and unyielding. To claim power over it is folly. We have power thanks to the Force but not over it. There is no light, there is no dark. There is only the illusion of struggle and balance. I claim no power over the universe, I merely work within it. I am not light or dark. Instead, I am gray, for I am not blinded by illusions of a divided Force.

 **(Unofficial creed followed by Gray Jedi)**

In Anakin's mind, the battle in Humbarine's orbit was like Jabiim, only in space and with a powerful armada of Separatist warships in place of the Jabiimi Nationalists and their droid army. And the miserable weather had been replaced by debris and a lot of Vulture droids.

"They're all over me!" yelled a clone pilot. "I can't shake 'em!"

"Hang on!" Anakin said, sensing the distressed pilot in the Force. He turned around and accelerated his fighter, racing in an effort to bring his weapons to bear on the Vultures pursuing the clone.

Unfortunately, just as Anakin opened fire on the fourth Vulture droid, one of the other ones successfully lined up behind the V-19 and blew it to pieces. Feeling frustration and anger at having not saved the pilot, Anakin made sure that the three surviving Vultures did not escape to fire on another clone.

The battle was not going well. Even before they had engaged the Separatists, the sole surviving Humbariner warship, a Mandator-class Star Dreadnaught, had been destroyed after the Republican fleet had exited hyperspace. More importantly, the Separatists had deployed new ships along with their frigates and destroyers. They were kilometer-long vessels that were heavily armed and armored, well-shielded, and were proving to be more than a match for the Jedi cruisers.

Suddenly, plasma escaped from a Venator, vaporizing everything in its path. _Reactor breach,_ Anakin thought as he blew up another Vulture droid. _Speak of the dark side and it will appear._

As Anakin did his best to put a dent in the number of droid starfighters attacking his allies, R2 beeped in alarm. _Missiles incoming!_ he warned in droidspeak.

The Chosen One of the Jedi Order frowned at first, but then smiled. Ion engines, much like thermal exhaust ports, could not be particle-shielded by design. As such, while it was possible to defend them from energy attacks, engines were vulnerable to attack by weapons such as railguns or warheads.

"Alright, R-Two," Anakin said as the stern of one of the unfamiliar Separatist warships came into view before proceeding to explain his plan. "Get ready to take control, you'll have to handle flying while I use the Force. Got it?"

R2 beeped affirmatively, though the astromech could not hide his anxiety from Anakin. "Don't worry, buddy," he said. "You can do it."

Closing his eyes, Anakin reached out into the Force, got a grip on two of the four missiles, and sent them flying into one of the Sep engines. While the ions, thanks to simple physics, proved to be an issue, he was still able to get them to slam into the engine and detonate, destroying it. Anakin then made sure the other two missiles got through the hole he had made in the hull. The first missile disabled another engine, while the second one penetrated deeper into the ship before exploding, causing further damage.

 _Hopefully Chad and the others are having an easier time on the ground,_ Anakin thought as he retook control of his fighter.

 ***CUT TO: HUMBARINER SPACEPORT, HUMBARINE***

"Hold the line!" Ahsoka ordered, batting away blaster bolts with her lightsaber. "The people of Humbarine are counting on us!"

With the assistance of the local police, the clones and Jedi had secured the spaceport, allowing fleeing civilians to board five commercial transports whose crews had volunteered to evacuate them. Unfortunately, the Separatists had committed a large amount of infantry droids and armored vehicles to retake the facility. Perhaps they wanted to deny Master Kota's corvettes a place to land, perhaps they wanted to kill as many people as possible. Regardless, Ahsoka and Torrent Company would _not_ let innocent civilians be killed and thus stood in defense of the Humbariners struggling to escape to safety.

Lieutenant Nolan Gillmunn, Master Wyn's aide, spoke into a secure comlink. "Gillmunn to _Scarlet Thranta_ , come in," he said. "Be advised: Enemy armor is attacking the spaceport, I say again, the LZ is under fire from enemy armored units. Requesting fire support, over." The Lieutenant listened to a reply, then angrily yelled, "Listen, asshole, we got tank droids literally about to roll over us! If we lose to the Seps, they will own this spaceport and you won't have a fancy landing pad to park your corvette! Do you understand me, _Thranta_?"

The Human GAR officer had not been exaggerating, for in addition to AATs that had become infamous following the Battle of Naboo, the Separatists had sent a large number of tank droids to support their infantry droids.

"Take this, tinnies!" Ahsoka yelled as she sent an EMP grenade flying towards a formation of battle droids with the Force. The droid popper knocked out at least two squads worth of droids, but the rest of the clankers, true to their nickname, just kept marching forward.

Finally, Raana showed up along with her master. "About time!" Ahsoka yelled to her cousin.

"I'm sorry we got delayed!" snapped back Raana, though in spite of her irritated tone Ahsoka could tell she genuinely wasn't happy about not getting to the spaceport sooner.

Walkers and hovertanks along with clones armed with missile launchers were able to combat the Separatist armored vehicles, and mortar and howitzer shells were able to slow down the B1s and B2s. However, a sudden barrage of cannon fire from _Scarlet Thranta_ and the other CR90 corvettes was what forced a Separatist retreat.

"I don't believe it!" one Torrent Company clone yelled. "They're retreating! We've won!"

"We haven't kicked the clankers off this world yet, Redeye," another clone, one she knew was named Mixer, replied.

Wyn, who Ahsoka had been assigned to while Anakin was fighting overhead, tapped her earpiece. "This is General Wyn to Evac Dispatch, come in," she said. "Dispatch, stand by to launch transports. Say again, stand by to launch your transports! Do you copy, Dispatch?"

With particle bolts no longer flying overhead, the five commercial transports lifted off their landing pads and headed into the sky. However, to Ahsoka's horror missiles streaked through the air, hitting two of the ships. One suffered a reactor breach and was destroyed outright, while the second lost power and crashed into a building.

"They're shooting down fleeing civilians?!" Master Vebb yelled in disbelief, sounding both outraged and sickened.

Chad shook his head. "Nahdar, you weren't on Jabiim," he said, his voice low. "You didn't see what Stratus's forces did."

Raana spoke up. "Master, we have to warn Master Kota," she said, getting on her comlink. "This is Commander Raana Tano to corvette squadron, come in. Be advised: Enemy has SAM capabilities, I repeat, the Separatists have SAMs. Does anyone copy, over?"

Master Kota's voice replied. "We know what happened to those transports, Padawan Tano," he said. "We'll keep our shields up, thanks for the warning."

Within minutes the CR90s landed, bringing both Master Kota and a regiment's worth of troops with them. Unfortunately, even with reinforcements it would be difficult for the Republicans to destroy the omnium and the droids that had invaded Humbarine.

 ***CUT TO: SERRA KETO'S DELTA-7B IN ORBIT AROUND HUMBARINE***

Serra frowned as Master Mundi gave her his orders. "You want me to take Shadow Squadron to attack the omnium, Master?" she asked. "We've got our own problems right now, namely these new Sep ships."

"I understand, young Keto," the Cerean Jedi Master replied. "But that omnium could wipe out both our ground forces and the civilian population. I have already requested reinforcements-thankfully we were able to get through the enemy jamming. Regardless, we must destroy the omnium. Now go."

She nodded even though he couldn't see her. "Understood, Master Mundi."

Serra linked up with Shadow Squadron, who had just launched from _Resolute_. "Alright, Shadows, listen up," she said as they headed towards the planet. "This omnium is producing Vulture droids from the material it's extracting, so be ready to fend off enemy fighters. We've confirmed that the vessel is armed and it's protected by a wraparound ray shield, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes. From what I see, defensive cannons seem to be mounted on top of the omnium, so we'll attack from below in order to minimize our exposure to the guns. Am I understood?"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" the pilots of Shadow Squadron replied.

"Good, now let's blow this omnium back to the Outer Rim."

The eight Y-wings (Shadow Squadron had not been fully reinforced thanks to the increased demand for Y-wing bombers following the destruction of Malevolence and a shortage of qualified pilots) followed Serra into Humbarine's atmosphere.

"General Keto, we have incoming Vultures," said Broadside, who had been placed promoted to Commander and placed in charge of Shadow Squadron following the death of Matchstick.

"Shields up, boys," Serra ordered. "Gunners, make sure any Vulture that ends up behind your bomber regrets it."

She had a relatively easy time dealing with the Vultures in comparison to her clone subordinates, the young Jedi Knight reflected. While most of the droid starfighters were shot down without scoring a hit, one of them was able to disable a Y-wing's port engine before being taken out. Fortunately enough, both pilot and gunner ejected safely, but that still left Serra with one less bomber to attack the omnium with.

"Alright, Shadows," she said. "We'll be in optimum range in t-minus two minutes, arm your torps."

Serra had barely finished transmitting her orders when more Vulture droids flew to intercept the Republican strike force, undoubtedly sent by the omnium to intercept them. She opened fire with her four laser cannons, downing three of the automated fighters, but two more Y-wings were shot down and another was heavily damaged in spite of the best efforts of Serra and Shadow Squadron. Proton torpedoes were launched, but they all were either intercepted by the omnium's defensive cannons or repelled by its particle shielding.

"This is Shadow Seven to General Keto," said the pilot of the damaged starfighter. "Ma'am, I have an idea-."

"-get out of here or eject, Shadow Seven," Serra cut him off. "Your ship's too heavily damaged."

"My gunner's dead, General," Shadow Seven replied. "I think I got broken ribs myself. Anyhow, if I can get above the omnium and get blown up, you can make sure a chunk of debris lands on the ray shield's projector and takes it out. After all, ma'am, you are a Jedi Knight."

Serra's eyes widened. "Shadow Seven, I can't-."

"-me and my ride to save a planet full of civvies and my brothers on the ground, General? That's a fair trade, I'll see you on the other side. Contrail out."

Contrail's Y-wing flew in low, then pulled up at the last second in order to avoid being consumed by the omnium. The omnium realized the threat Contrail posed and opened fire with its quad laser cannons, but only succeeded in destroying the bomber after it had gained sufficient altitude for Contrail's plan to work.

 _May you and your fallen brothers rest in peace, Contrail,_ Serra thought as she made sure the ray shield projector was destroyed, ensuring the pilot's sacrifice would not be in vain. Now it was time to destroy the omnium itself, even if support was needed.

 ***CUT TO: STREETS OF HUMBARINE***

For the Grand Army troops on the ground, the good news was that the omnium had been destroyed. The bad news was that the Separatists were still pounding their Naval comrades up in space and a significant amount of droids had been landed on the planet.

"Keep pressing!" Kota ordered. "We cannot let the Seps rest, people!" He then charged directly at the enemy, cutting down or Force-pushing any opponent that got in the way.

Despite not having operated together before, Kota's soldiers and the clone troopers worked cohesively. The Republican warfighters supplied cover for each other, supplied surplus ammunition, and did their best to save wounded comrades regardless of their origins. Together, they slowly but surely began to drive the Separatists back.

Not that the droids were making it easy for their organic opponents. Red particle bolts slammed into clone and birth-born soldiers alike. Shrapnel resulted in bleeding corpses and screaming men and women. A tank droid blew up a Republican hovertank, only to be destroyed by an AT-TE.

"I don't believe it," said Colonel Gillmunn in disbelief as the Separatist forces began to withdraw. "They're retreating, we've actually got them on the run!"

Chad frowned, feeling uneasy. "Keep your guard up and eyes open, Colonel," he warned. "This could be a trap."

"I don't think so, Master Jedi!" exclaimed one Humbariner who had picked up a blaster and volunteered to fight with the Grand Army instead of flee to safety. He sounded downright exuberant in spite of what was going on. "I've got a good feeling about this!"

Chad raised an eyebrow under his helmet, but before he could comment he felt the shockwaves of multiple explosions beneath his feet.

The ground felt like it was weakening, and Chad had enough time to say, "Oh, _kriff!_ " before the street collapsed into the sewers. The Jedi General fell in along with the Humbariner, Gillmumn, Raana, Sixes, and a few other clones and Militiamen. The fact that an AT-TE had been nearby did not do them any favors, though fortunately no one had been crushed beneath the walker.

Two hooded figures appeared in the sewers, along with a number of armed humanoids wearing sealed helmets, tactical vests, and fatigues.

Chad grimaced as he stood up, recognizing an unwelcome presence in the Force. "You again, Ventress?" he asked. "Really?"

Ventress smirked as she discarded her cloak and ignited her lightsabers. The second figure discarded his as well. It was Pong Krell, a former Jedi Master that had defected to the Separatists following the outbreak of the war and had become the Minister of Defense of the CIS. "Where's your little brother, Skywalker?" the bald woman asked as she ran at him, the red blades of her and Krell's weapons illuminating the sewers.

"I'm honestly not sure which one of us is older," Chad said truthfully before he activated his lightshields and blocked Krell's attacks. The Besalisk Dark Jedi was wielding two saberstaffs, and that was on top of his strength, experience, and Force skills. As a result, Chad would be on the defensive for now.

"Commander Sixes to General Kota, come in!" Sixes yelled as he, Gillmunn, and their nearby subordinates and the Humbariner engaged in a firefight with the Separatist troops Krell and Ventress had brought along. "Break-break, we have Pong Krell and Asajj Ventress engaging General Skywalker and Commander Tano! Repeat, Krell and Ventress are at our location! We need immediate reinforcements! Do you copy, sir?!"

"Come again, Commander," came the reply of Kota. "Sounded like you said 'Krell' as well as 'Ventress,' please say again. Over."

"Sir, I say again, Ventress and Krell are attacking us! They've engaged General Skywalker and Commander Tano, we need backup right karking now!"

Raana had it even worse than Chad. She was still a young Padawan with no experience dueling opponents outside of sparring, and on those occasions the inexperienced Togruta teenager had not been fighting for her life. Ventress outright rolled her eyes after locking blades with Raana before sending a Force-strengthened kick to the Padawan's chest. Raana yelped as she was knocked off her feet, and her opponent used the Force to slam her into the side of the AT-TE.

Krell smiled sadistically at Raana's misfortune, and while Chad was pissed at what had happened to her, he also knew that Raana was vulnerable and would not last on her own. Knocking Krell over with a Force-push, Chad ran over to his unconscious Padawan and intercepted Ventress.

"How nice of you!" she taunted him as he stopped her attempt to kill Raana. "But you really shouldn't be trusted with children, Skywalker! This little girl nearly died because you drag-."

Chad cut Ventress off by headbutting her, breaking her nose in the process since he was wearing a helmet, then attacked her with his right gauntlet-shield. He had intended to at most scar Ventress like she had done to Anakin but ended up blinding the Dark Side Adept in the right eye in addition to leaving a nasty scar. Ventress screamed in pain, cursing Chad and running away as her facial wound burned.

Krell chuckled. "Damn, Skywalker," he said. "Even after everything you did on Jabiim, I didn't know you had it in you. Now I know for sure."

The Besalisk Separatist had a big smile on his face as he advanced towards Chad, who stood over Raana protectively and without shaking. The Humbariner fired a grenade from the launcher attached to his rifle at Krell, only to be blown up when the fallen Jedi Master simply redirected it with the Force. Sixes charged in a desperate attempt to defend his CO, but was cut down by a slash to the chest. However, Chad still felt Sixes's presence in the Force-most likely his survival was due to a mixture of Krell choosing to be sadistic and not eliminate the clone officer properly and his breastplate's sturdiness.

"You could join me, you know," Krell told Chad. "I could use a man like you as my apprentice, Skywalker. Besides, your nice little Padawan is likely going to need to see a neurologist, and I can get her medical attention."

Chad glared at the Dark Jedi. "You lay one finger on her," he told him, "and I'll make you wish your mother decided to die a virgin."

"Good, let the hate flow through you!" said Krell as their blades clashed. "The Jedi will lose this war, Skywalker! I'm simply smart enough to know the Sith will win! What reason can you have for staying on the doomed side, boy?!"

Chad felt Kota and Nahdar's presences and heard the sound of approaching larties. "Because you're about to be outnumbered and outgunned!"

Kota and Nahdar led a force of clones and Militiamen into the sewers, reinforcing Gillmunn and the other surviving soldiers, who would likely had been overrun by the Separatist soldiers had they been forced to fight on their own for a minute longer. Kota attacked Krell, forcing him to handle two opponents at once, while Nahdar went after Ventress. While half-blind, the pale-skinned Near-Human woman was enraged enough to remain a threat.

"I suppose I must get going!" Krell said as he forced back Chad and Kota then began a retreat. Spotting Nahdar dealing with his fellow dark sider, the towering Besalisk then slashed the Mon Calamari Jedi Knight in the back before fleeing with Ventress and his surviving soldiers, pausing once more to block off pursuit by pulling down more of the street.

"NO!" Chad screamed. Unable to chase Krell and his lackeys with the debris blocking the way, he ran to Nahdar, who was still alive but clearly a goner.

"MEDIC!" yelled the Jedi, desperately trying to save his friend even though he knew it was futile. "I NEED A MEDIC OVER HERE!"

He held Nahdar's webbed hand while trying to heal him. "Stay with me, Nahdar!" pleaded Chad.

"C-chad," Nahdar said weakly, his left hand reaching into his pocket. "T-tell M-master F-fist-."

Nahdar stopped speaking, unable to finish his request before dying. Chad didn't bother to look for what Nahdar was reaching for. Instead, for the first time in a while he openly wept as he held his close friend's still-warm corpse.

 **ME: I based the Gray Jedi creed off of a post by RoseNoot of Imgur. What I changed was to make it flow better and whatnot. I hope this chapter didn't suck.**

 **I figured the Bulwarks would be tough opponents given what I've read off of Wookieepedia, and since _something_ has to come out of a starship's engines to make it move thanks to Newton's Third Law of Motion, engines would be a logical weakness now that I've thought about it, just like the Death Star's two-meter wide thermal exhaust port. On the other hand, the ions are coming _out of_ the engines, not into them, so missiles could very well just end up literally blown away, which would be a good explanation for why Luke using the Force actually worked when it came to blowing up the Death Star.**

 **I hoped Krell and Ventress were deadly enough. However, Reality Ensued in that Ventress learned Talking is Not a Free Action, though luckily for her she can just get a new eye grown. The Elite Mooks that accompanied them are the XOF, I didn't want to use droids or the Mandalorian Protectors. Speaking of the Protectors, I wonder how Spar would be able to make much of an impact on the war with a couple hundred Mandalorians and a thousand droids, elite status or not. Granted, Star Wars is frequently a case of Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale.**

 **I'm not sure how the Battle of Humbarine should go from here, but Nahdar dying hopefully wasn't tacky. Perhaps I'll just end the Humbarine arc here and now, I really think this storyline is a weak point for TFM.**

 **I had the ambush occur because I couldn't come up with a better idea for Ventress and Krell being able to attack the Jedi. Apparently walkers can cause bridges to collapse, so unstable streets would be vulnerable. Contrail's death was a reference to him apparently kicking the bucket in Legends. Now to try out some SWTOR. And yes, I made a twist of the "I got a bad feeling about this" running gag with the Humbariner.**

 **On a final note, I insist that all of you try out Ahsokafanboy1138's story Udessi. It's set in my universe and I suspect his next update will be very exciting.**


	46. Depa Billaba's Shadow

**ME: Sorry for taking so long, guys. I was finishing off TECD and shit. Hopefully I can read Thrawn after this and maybe get some ideas for a Shatterpoint adaptation.**

The devastating and cowardly attack on the people of Humbarine by the Separatists proves that cutting defense spending and opening negotiations with these barbaric monsters are foolish courses of actions that will only doom the Republic. We must give our brave and humble leader Chancellor Palpatine the support he needs in order to defeat the Separatist Alliance and end the war. Peace will come not through reaching out to these beasts but through defeating their forces and bringing the Separatist leadership to justice for their crimes against civilization.

 **(Senator Halle Burtoni of Kamino, addressing the Galactic Senate following the Battle of Humbarine)**

To say that the Battle of Humbarine had gone badly for the Republic Armed Forces would be an understatement, Chad reflected as a LAAT/i landed nearby him.

First, the defenses of the Core World ecumenopolis had been smashed by the invading Separatists, with even the Mandator that served as the flagship and pride of the sector defense fleet having been destroyed. Second, quite a few clones and even a number of Kota's Militiamen had been lost in the fight for Humbarine. Third, Nahdar had died at the hands of Pong Krell, a Jedi Master who had defected and was made the Separatist Minister of Defense. Fourth, apparently the Republican fleet sent to defend Humbarine had been torn a new asshole by the Separatist armada even if they had retreated. Fifth, Humbarine's agricultural production sites had been bombarded from orbit. Last but not least, the remaining battle droids on the planet had initiated a suicidal final charge as their warships withdrew from the system and left them behind. Severe casualties had been sustained by the Republicans and local Loyalists as a result.

Chad had opted to carry Raana into the gunship himself while medics saw to Sixes and a pair of clones had retrieved Nahdar's body. While Chad's commander was in critical condition, he had been stabilized and a medic assured him that Sixes would survive as the gunship took off and headed for orbit.

"General Skywalker, we're receiving a transmission from the Jedi Temple," one of the pilots called as the larty gained atmosphere. "It's labelled Priority One."

"Patch it through," said Chad, taking his eyes off his Padawan and his legion commander. As much as he hated turning his back on the two if only for a second, the Jedi Knight knew he couldn't do much for them at the moment and he couldn't just ignore the Jedi Council.

The gunship's internal holoprojector displayed Yoda, the Order's Grand Master. "Hurry you must, young Skywalker," the old Jedi stated. "To Coruscant you must return. Of the utmost importance your next assignment will be."

"Master Yoda, Humbarine's been severely battered by the Separatists," Chad replied. "Our forces have suffered heavy losses on the ground, and apparently the Navy got hit pretty hard as well from what I heard. I need to be here with my troops to help make sure the planet doesn't fall into anarchy. Oh, and both my Padawan and Commander Sixes, the latter especially so, require immediate medical attention."

"Understand your concerns I do, Master Skywalker," said Yoda. "But of the utmost necessity, this mission is. Return to the Temple at once you must. If concerned for the welfare of your Padawan and chief clone subordinate you are, bring them to the Temple healers you may. Already preparing a shuttle for you, the crew of your flagship is."

Chad nodded. "Thank you, Master Yoda. I will leave for Coruscant immediately."

 ***CUT TO: SITUATION ROOM, CONFEDERATE FORTRESS, RAXLON, RAXUS SECUNDUS***

After seeing to it that Ventress was fine and would be able to get a new eye cloned for herself, Krell now had a meeting with President Tikkes to look forward to.

 _Lord Sidious told me that neither I nor Grievous are capable of serving as the face of the Confederacy,_ the former Jedi Master thought. _So as a result I have to tolerate this politician and officially be subordinate to him, though he is a fool if he assumes that he is truly in charge._

Unfortunately, the former Quarren Senator proved to be insufferable. "How could you you two do that?!" screamed Tikkes. "Minister Krell, what were you thinking?!"

"It's hard enough covering up the existence of General Grievous's former flagship, Defense Minister," Prime Minister Po Nudo added before the Besalisk Sith could answer. "Now what will Parliament think, Minister? You've effectively given the Republic a significant propaganda victory!"

Krell shook his head. "Mr. Prime Minister," he said calmly, "what we did was strike a major blow against the Core Worlds, the heart of our enemy. I even dispatched a Jedi thug myself. By devastating an important industrial center like Humbarine, we have not only weakened the Republican military-industrial-complex but have undermined the image of Palpatine's government. The Republic's ordinary citizens now know that we can conduct offensive operations right in the Galactic Core, and that will scare them into being favorable towards a peaceful resolution of the war."

"But even now images and videos of the assault you two launched are flooding the HoloNet as we speak, Krell!" snapped Tikkes. "If anything, you have increased the odds that ordinary Coruscanti citizens will support the war by bringing the conflict closer to their homes! And now Palpatine can accuse all of us of being monsters and war crimi-."

Krell closed two of his right hand's fingers together, and suddenly Tikkes began to choke, grabbing at his throat. Nudo screamed for the guards, but the electrostaff-wielding droids did not intervene when the Minister of Defense countermanded the order.

"W-what?!" Tikkes stuttered out, both shocked and in pain, desperate for air.

Once he was certain that the politician was seven seconds away from unconsciousness or death, Krell released his grip on Tikkes.

"You are not the ultimate authority of these MagnaGuards, Mr. President," Krell sneered. " _I_ am, for I have programmed them to protect you but to disregard all your orders if I say so, for Grievous and I are the ones who Lord Sidious truly trusts with the war effort."

Krell paused as he took a sip of water. "Everything is going according to plan, Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister," he continued. "You two just need to do what politicians do best and lie. Both of you need only claim that you two are the most powerful men in the Confederacy. Is that understood?"

When both Tikkes and Nudo affirmed their understanding of how things really were quietly, Krell smiled. "Good," he said. "I look forward to the rest of the war now that I can count on both of you gentlebeings cooperating with me in order to defend our great Confederacy."

 ***CUT TO: TEMPLE HANGAR, JEDI TEMPLE, TEMPLE DISTRICT, CORUSCANT***

A fireteam of four TSF troopers greeted Chad as the shuttle's ramp came down. "Greetings, Master Skywalker," the Corporal in charge said. "We'll show you to the-."

"-sorry, Corporal," interrupted Chad, "but I'm not meeting the Council until my Padawan and Commander Sixes here are getting treated by healers."

The Corporal frowned but nodded. "Of course, sir," he said. "We'll make sure that they're attended to, Master Jedi."

As they neared the Halls of Healing, Ranna moaned in pain. "Master," she said, "my head-."

Chad gripped her hand comfortingly. "Just rest now, Raana," he told her. "You're gonna be fine, the best healers in the galaxy will be helping you soon."

After ensuring that the young Togruta and his senior clone commander would be attended to, Chad proceeded along with the TSF fireteam to the Jedi Council chamber.

Before entering the turbolift to the Chamber, Chad noticed that two red-uniformed members of the Chancellorial Guard guarded the entrance. _Looks like Palpatine himself decided to make an appearance,_ Chad thought as the turbolift car ascended and he removed his helmet. _If the Chancellor himself is here, things must be important._

"Greetings, General Skywalker," Palpatine said. Remarkably enough, the windows were covered by blast shields, leaving only the chamber's internal lights to provide any kind of illumination. Additionally, aside from the Chancellor and his guards only Mace and Yoda inhabited the chamber, with not even holographic projections of distant Councilors present. "How was your trip back to Coruscant?"

"Quick if a little unpleasant, Supreme Chancellor," replied Chad. "Thank you for asking. Forgive me if this is presumptuous, sir, but I believe that this must be a critical assignment if we're the only ones at this meeting."

"Correct you are, young Skywalker," Yoda asked. "Keep this meeting and your next assignment a secret, you will. Familiar with Master Depa Billaba are you?"

"To some extent, yes, Master Yoda," answered Chad. "She was Master Windu's Padawan before me, and apparently the only student of his to master Vaapad. Didn't Master Billaba resign her seat on the High Council in order to go to Haruun Kal or something?"

"Indeed, Chad," Mace said. Notably he seemed less stoic than usual. "Prior to the outbreak of the war, the Balawai-a Korunnai term that roughly means _Outsider_ and is considered highly offensive by the Balawai themselves-controlled-government of Haruun Kal was being investigated for violating the rights of the Korunnai natives. However, commercial interests that have a strong incentive to ensure that the status quo is maintained and that the export of thyssel bark continues uninterrupted hampered the Judicial Department's efforts. In spite of such interference, Chancellor Palpatine was able to send the Third Brigade of the Thirty-Third Judicial Peacekeeper Division, commanded by Colonel John Konrad, to the capital city of Pelek Baw, officially to train with local security forces but in reality as a deterrent against further Balawai abuse of the Korunnai."

"However," Palpatine said, "such a move only convinced many of the Balawai that the Republic was hoping to disrupt their way of life in order to appeal to the Korunnai people. It may seem ridiculous to you, Chad, but perception is what matters in politics more often than not. As a result, the planetary government voted to secede and join the Separatists following the Battle of Geonosis. In exchange for the use of the Al'Har system as a base of operations in the Mid Rim, the CIS provides the Balawai with modern weapons and turns a blind eye to any actions they take against the Balawai. Colonel Konrad and his men were ordered to leave Haruun Kal upon its secession but refused to withdraw from the planet and instead fled into the jungle. Director Isard tells me that Konrad and his soldiers soon found common cause with the Korunnai, for they were seen by a tribe fighting Balawai troops."

"Depa and a Special Forces team made up of non-clone soldiers were sent to Haruun Kal in order to train and equip anti-Separatist partisans," said Mace. "Konrad was reported to have always respected the Jedi for our martial capabilities throughout his career as an officer and reportedly was eager to work with Depa. However, we have had limited contact with Depa and her team and have received disturbing reports regarding the conduct of the ULF."

"The ULF, Master?" Chad questioned.

"The Upland Liberation Front," he explained. "That's the name of the anti-Balawai resistance group Depa and Colonel Konrad established out of the various Korunnai tribespeople willing to fight and Konrad's own brigade.

"Back to the reports we've received," Mace continued. "Both sides on Haruun Kal are reported to have inflicted atrocities and war crimes upon each other. Massacres of civilians, done either to intimidate or out of a lust for revenge and hatred. Rape. Murdering surrendering combatants and clearly-marked medics that have not fired a shot in aggression as well as abuse of prisoners. Disregard for collateral damage."

"Wait," inquired Chad, " _Depa's_ behind some of this, Mace? Impossible, I may not have been too close to her growing up but I know that she isn't the kind of person to brutalize civilians and disregard the laws of war. You trained her before you trained me."

"Know for sure if Depa has fallen and committed any of the crimes that she is accused of, we do not," Yoda told Chad. "Still, concerning the reports and evidence we have seen remain. Investigate further, we must."

"After discussing the situation with Masters Yoda and Windu, General Skywalker," Palpatine intoned, "I believe that it is in the Republic's best interests to retake Haruun Kal. First, it will deny the Separatists access to the system's economic resources and hyperspace routes while strengthening our own position. Second, any victory over the Separatist Alliance will be crucial given the recent devastation of Humbarine. Third, we must not allow Depa Billaba, in the unlikely event that she has fallen to the dark side, to remain a free woman or she will pose a considerable threat to galactic security. Fourth, if we do not clamp down after reports emerge indicating misconduct from a senior Jedi and former member of the High Council, then the Republic's already shaky image will be further blemished in these trying times."

"Understood, sir," Chad said, clicking his heels. "I will prepare the One-Eighty-Second Legion for immediate deployment."

"No, Chad," Mace said. "We won't be using clones on Haruun Kal, or at least I hope to avoid that."

Chad frowned before saying, "Excuse me, Mace? I don't think we can take Haruun Kal solely with the Marine Corps."

"True, but Haruun Kal has many fungi native to it that target both silicates and metal, with starships, advanced comlinks, and energy weapons being particularly vulnerable to said fungi. As a result, slugthrower firearms last longer in the jungle compared to a blaster or a magnetic acceleration weapon." Mace looked Chad in the eye. "Remember when we helped the Helghast and the Vektans negotiate the Treaty of Aldera just before the Separatist Crisis?"

"Yes, I do remember those days, Master," responded Chad. While the revelation that a conspiracy of Vektans had been plotting to exterminate the Helghast on both Helghan and Gyre-the latter of which would have been carried out even though Vektans on Gyre would also be vulnerable to the bioweapon the conspirators were developing-had damaged the standing and reputation of the Vektan government, a Helghast whistleblower releasing classified information concerning war crimes committed by the Helghast military and the Stahl Arms Security Force as well as crimes committed by the Helghan Imperium against its own citizens had embarrassed Autarch Scolar Visari's own regime as well. In light of the damning data they had received on both the Vektans and the Helghast, both Chad and Mace concluded that rewarding either side with control of Gyre would have been completely egregious. That was in addition to the not-so-small issue of removing the unlucky side's civilians from their settlements on Gyre. In the end, the Vektans and the Helghast had both been forced to withdraw their forces from Gyre, recognize the other side's right to exist, and allow for the formation of an independent government on Gyre. More than a few Vektans and Helghast had been sacrificed before the altar of realpolitik, but little had changed for either side aside from the cessation of open hostilities. "Are we to simply rely on both the Helghast and the Vektans to provide troops and ships? Both groups hate each other and they're kind of primitive compared to the rest of the galaxy. Just because they can fight each other for decades doesn't mean they'll be effective against battle droids."

"Haruun Kal, like I said before, is a different kind of environment, Chad," Mace said. "Besides, Jedi and Mandalorians have cooperated in the past. Tarre Vizsla was both Mandalorian and Jedi, and Mandalore Canderous Ordo fought with Revan and Bastila Shan against the forces of Darth Malak."

"Given how Scolar Visari admires the Jedi for their part in establishing an honorable peace that the Helghast accepted," Palpatine said, "I'm certain that he'll be grateful to offer whatever support he can spare. The Vektans may be more reluctant, but some troops are better than no troops. Besides, I need to conduct a negotiation with the head of Stahl Arms anyway. They may soon be getting a contract to supply the Armed Forces with slugthrowers."

 **ME: While The Last Jedi's trailer isn't very impressive, does anyone else think Luke may have PTSD from his nephew Kylo's rampage? Unless it'll turn out to be a twist, it would make sense if Luke's become disenchanted with the Jedi as a concept due to bad experiences.**

 **Krell probably would want to assert his authority over the Confederacy's political leadership given how much of a douche he is. Maybe I should have Admiral Salen Kotch be in charge of the Confederate Navy, with General Tian Zhao being the Army's leader. Granted, maybe Grievous doesn't really need prominent Mook Lieutenants. There is already Sev'rance Taan, after all.**

 **I have no real idea of how to adapt Shatterpoint at this point (not too familiar with it compared to the RC novels; the fact that Matthew Stover, while not as bad as KJA or Chuck Wendig, is inferior to Karen Traviss doesn't help) and will probably not post an update for a while as a result. Plus I've got a math class until early July to deal with. I had Depa resign because that's the only explanation I can think of for why she never appeared in ROTS yet somehow had made Kanan her Padawan around that same time.**

 **Given how both the Vektans and the Helghast can be rather dickish at times, I figured that Chad and Mace wouldn't want to abide their nonsense, especially since Anakin and Obi-Wan are the only Jedi to have fought with the Helghast as of this point. Plus deporting either the Vektans or the Helghast on Gyre would've been expensive and difficult, though Reality Ensued in that they still aren't buddy-buddy, just as how tensions still exist between America and Russia and we didn't engage in open warfare with the Soviets.**


	47. Battle over Haruun Kal

**ME: Let me start things off by dedicating this chapter to the victims of the atrocious attacks in Charlottesville and Barcelona, as well as my fellow Texans that have suffered greatly under Hurricane Harvey. Stay safe out there, ladies and gents, God and your fellow Texans love you. Didn't get much support or advice before writing this, guys. So sorry in advance if it isn't as good as what I normally produce. Also, school's started again, so this may be my last post for a while. My thanks to everyone for their kind words.**

So, let's get this straight-two Jedi Padawans, one freshly-minted Jedi Knight, and a Republican Senator all land on Geonosis-a sovereign planet, mind you, that isn't part of either the Republic or the Confederacy-without getting clearance from the local government, shoot and slice up a factory full of innocent workers and security guards because some other Jedi got captured by the locals after going well outside the Republic's legal jurisdiction before getting captured themselves, and this warrants an invasion of a neutral planet by the Republic? Yet some Republicans wonder why Dooku was declared a martyr by the CIS and why people that aren't Human don't swallow their Coruscanticentric garbage with smiles on their faces.

 **(Sam Croshaw, a controversial HoloNet personality, speaking after the Battle of Geonosis)**

It had been well-established that, as Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Palpatine would obviously be a prime target of assassination or kidnapping attempts by the Separatist Alliance. As a result, rather than travel to the _Venator_ -class Star Destroyer _Retribution_ by shuttle, Palpatine, Mace, and Chad headed to _Retribution_ in a militarized _Consular_ -class cruiser under the escort of V-19 Torrents and with a substantial detachment of Palpatine's red-robed guards onboard. Also onboard was a naval officer with light brown hair and blue eyes whose uniform's rank plaque identified him as a Lieutenant Commander.

"Good day, Lieutenant Commander," Chad said, extending his hand to shake. "I'm General Chad Skywalker of the One-Hundred-and-Eighty-Second Legion."

The officer got a firm grip on Chad's hand. "Lieutenant Commander Orson Krennic, General Skywalker," he said as they shook hands. "I'm also to work with the Helghast, albeit in a different capacity than your's and General Windu's, sir."

Chad nodded. Palpatine chose that moment to enter the room.

"Ah, General Skywalker," the grandfatherly old man stated in a pleasant tone of voice. "I see you've met Lieutenant Commander Krennic. He'll be staying with me in the Helghan system while you and General Windu take the _Retribution_ as your temporary new flagship."

" _Retribution'll_ be the flagship of the mission to Haruun Kal, Your Excellency?" asked Chad as Commander Zak, the clone captain of the frigate they were on, requested clearance to board _Retribution_.

"Indeed, General Skywalker," answered Palpatine. "The _Retribution_ will serve as the provisional flagship for the Republican Mandalorian Expeditionary Force for the political purpose of not showing favor to either the Helghast or the Vektans in addition to the _Retribution_ obviously being a superior warship compared to a Vektan or Helghast vessel. It will make for a good story for the media in light of what's happened to Humbarine."

"I understand minding the home front in times like this, sir," Chad said. Propaganda downplaying the costs and struggle of war was distasteful, but he knew that demoralizing civilians with dreary reports of loss wouldn't help at all, and everyone from the youngest Initiates at the Temple to Chad's clone subordinates in the 182nd Legion could benefit from more hope.

Mace cleared his throat. "Chad, we may have to split ourselves between the Helghast and the Vektans. We need to connect with both groups, but only being hosted by only one party will simply increase resentment."

"Indeed, Master," Chad replied.

Zak then appeared, announcing to the Jedi and Palpatine that _Retribution_ had cleared them to dock. The trio nodded and got up before heading to the airlock, accompanied by Palpatine's guardsmen.

The airlock opened, revealing three people on the other side. One of them Chad recognized as Fleet Admiral Frederick Raines, the Republic's Chief of Naval Operations. "Admiral Raines, sir," said Chad as he saluted.

Salutes were exchanged and returned. "Welcome aboard _Retribution_ , Your Excellency," Raines said to Palpatine before turning to Chad and Mace. "General Windu, General Skywalker, I'd like you to meet Commander Nick Reyes and Lieutenant Commander Nora Salter, CO and XO, respectively, of _Retribution's_ attached SCAR squadron."

"Special Combat and Advanced Reconnaissance," Chad said in recognition. The SCARs had existed even before the war under the Judicial Forces, serving against pirates, marauders, and other threats to galactic denizens. Trained in both special operations and air-to-air combat, they made use of hyperdrive-equipped fighters for freedom of mobility and to operate independently of carrier vessels. While SCARs were controversial in an officially demilitarized Republic, the Judicials had justified their existence and cost as a cheaper and more effective alternative to large-scale conventional units.

"Yes, sir, that's us," said Commander Reyes, extending his hand to shake Chad's.

"'No ship can't be breached, no target can't be reached,'" Lieutenant Commander Salter added as she and Chad shook hands. "That's us, General Skywalker."

"It will be good to have experienced veterans with us for this assignment, Lieutenant Commander," Mace told Salter. "It is unfortunate that we meet due to a full-scale war, but the Jedi Order always appreciates help from others."

"As do SCARs, General Windu," replied Salter. "We can actually get you and General Skywalker up to speed on our fighters, sir. They can actually serve as simulators, so you won't be hindered by the lack of Delta-Sevens onboard."

The mixed group made it to the turbolift to _Retribution's_ bridge, where they found Captain John Alder, CO of Retribution, his XO and bridge crew, as well as a tall droid that normally would have been attacked by Chad immediately had he not realized that it was extremely unlikely said droid was a Separatist one.

"Greetings, Captain Alder," said Chad. "I was unaware that you had a non-standard droid aboard."

"Indeed, General Skywalker," the droid answered before Alder could. "Petty Officer First Class E-Three-N, sir. I'm a prototype Enhanced Tactical Humanoid droid designed specifically to counter other battle droids, like the B-One model manufactured by Baktoid. For better or for worse, it seems as though the Republic prefers clones over droids and my model won't be mass-produced, General. But I'm still in this fight, sir."

"Indeed, Ethan," Captain Alder said, identifying the droid for Chad as he spoke. "Apologies if this was an unpleasant surprise for you, General Skywalker. Ethan's a loyal part of _Retribution's_ complement but I can understand any Jedi having hang-ups about serving alongside a battle droid, sir."

"Don't worry, Captain," replied Chad. "Ethan seems to be a decent guy for a combat droid, plus I can see he's one of us, not a Sep."

"Aw, thanks, sir," said Ethan.

Alder cracked a smile before turning to the Lieutenant seated at the navigation station. "Gator, is our course to the Helghan system plotted in?"

"Affirmative, sir," the Lieutenant, one Victor "Gator" Diallo, answered. "We are ready to jump on your command."

"Understood, Gator," replied Alder before he addressed all of _Retribution's_ crew via the address system. "Safeguard, safeguard, safeguard," he began. "Safeguard rule now in force. Repeat, safeguard rule now in force."

The Captain paused to take a deep breath before continuing. "Attention, all personnel," he said. "I want us ready to leave for our jump to the Mandalore sector in five minutes. Seal the hangars, secure all loose items, and make sure all systems are fully operational. The Supreme Chancellor, our commander-in-chief, is aboard, ladies and gentlebeings, and I want to make sure he has a pleasant trip while aboard _Retribution_."

The next few minutes consisted of the crew of Retribution busying themselves as they made final preparations for their departure to the Helghan system. Deck after deck reported that they had made sure to do everything to prepare for the jump to hyperspace, while the bridge crew tapped away at their computers.

"Final check," Alder said. "Lieutenant Yetide, status?"

"All systems are operational, Captain," Yetide stated in response. "All engines are online, acceleration compensators have been ready, and the hyperdrive is fully operational."

"Gator?"

"Just finished triple-checking our route to Helghan, sir," said Gator. "We are ready to jump on your orders, Skipper."

"Thank you, Gator," said Captain Alder. He then turned to Palpatine. "Your Excellency, I would be honored if you gave the order to initiate the jump, sir."

Palpatine shook his head. "Oh no, Captain," he said before Alder could protest. "I am a political leader and like many of my fellow Naboo lack military experience. It simply wouldn't be proper, so please proceed as you would normally.

"Very well, Supreme Chancellor." Alder then turned back to face the two pilots at the helm station and said, "Helm, commence the jump to hyperspace."

"Aye, aye, sir," said the lead pilot. "Commencing jump in t-minus five, four, three, two, one, _now_."

Soon Retribution was hurtling through hyperspace, and Admiral Raines took that as his cue to lead Palpatine, Mace, Chad, and the two lead officers of _Retribution's_ attached SCAR squadron to the destroyer's dorsal hangar. There Reyes and Salter were instructed to prepare their Jackals (modified Z-95s favored by the Navy's elite SCAR operators) for Mace and Chad to train on while he led the two Jedi and Chancellor Palpatine plus two of the latter's bodyguards to Raines's personal shuttle.

"Supreme Chancellor, Generals," he began once the _Nu_ -class attack shuttle was sealed, "the Separatist Alliance made a broadcast earlier today on Confederacy Today with Admiral Kotch, commander of the Separatist fleet, being a key speaker. Here's the speech in question."

Raines brought out a datapad and brought up a video. "Following the death of our beloved Founder, Count Dooku," Admiral Kotch said, "the Confederacy- _our_ Confederacy-made the decision to go to war against the corrupt and decadent Republic. We merely seceded from their illegitimate union to form a new, morally superior one, but they responded by invading a neutral world that had done nothing to undermine the interests of the Coruscanti elite and murdering Count Dooku. For these heinous crimes, from this day forward the Confederate Defense Force will dedicate itself to eradicating the authority and influence of the Galactic Senate and all of the parasites who use that diseased institution to profit off the backs of the powerless! Their pathetic excuse of a society is dying, my fellow Confederates, but rest assured that ours has only just begun! But it is not enough to simply break free, fellow Confederates. We must break them if our Confederacy is to be free to prosper! The Republican army of cloned slaves shall be defeated along with their jackbooted Jedi thugs! _Libertas aeternum!_ "

" _Libertas aeternum! Libertas aeternum!_ " the cheering Separatists that surrounded Kotch both onscreen and offscreen chanted.

" _Libertas aeternum,_ Admiral Raines?" asked Chad.

"It's a High Galactic saying that means, _'Freedom forever'_ in Basic," Raines explained. "It helps play into the Separatists' narrative of them being the heroic underdogs struggling for liberty against a monolithic tyranny. But what really concerns me is that this isn't some secret transmission that we had to get decrypted, Kotch's speech could've been watched live by anyone with a HoloNet connection. So the Separatists are being public with their intentions, and this comes after both the attack on Humbarine with the commandeered omnium and those new warships plus that _Malevolence_ dreadnought that until fairly recently was the scourge of our Navy. That has me worried."

Chad spoke up. "Propaganda's propaganda, Admiral," he said. "But it's better to be cautious than to be cocky. I say we don't overplay the Separatist threats made on the HoloNet but stay on alert and have our intelligence assets look into it, Chancellor Palpatine."

"A wise suggestion from a young man like yourself, General," said Palpatine. "I will heed your advice, now why don't you and Master Windu practice with Commander Reyes and Lieutenant Commander Salter? You may have need of a Headhunter like the ones they both fly in the future."

Mace and Chad did as Palpatine suggested. It was tricky at first, but soon the two Jedi Knights had learned how to start up the Jackal, initiate takeoffs and landings, exit hangars, fly through deep space, and fire the craft's weapons; the Jedi had done all of this while the Headhunters themselves had never left the ground or even moved. The simulation mode featured in the Z-95 variant was to enable pilots to practice without needing a separate machine for the task.

Eventually _Retribution_ finally made it to the Helghan system. Palpatine and his entourage, which now include Admiral Raines, boarded the frigate commanded by Zak (which had the call sign "Navy One" due to Palpatine's presence) and left _Retribution_ , now heading towards the space station that served as the counterweight for Pyrrhus City's space elevators.

"Helghan Station Control, this is Navy One Actual," Commander Zak said. "Requesting permission to dock, over."

"Navy One Actual, roger," came the reply. "You are cleared to dock, please cut your engines and stand by. We'll get a tug drone to fly you in, acknowledge."

The clone naval officer glanced at Palpatine, who nodded. "The Helghast have nothing to gain and everything to lose if I die because of them, Captain," he said frankly. "Let them help us in."

"Of course, sir," Zak said before clearing his throat. "Acknowledged, Station Control. I'll cut my engines and wait for the tug drone, thank you for your assistance. Navy One Actual out."

As Chad and Mace waited with Palpatine for the tug drone, Chad frowned. "You know I feel like we can't really trust either side, Master?" he told Mace.

Palpatine overheard that and frowned. "Excuse me, General Skywalker?"

Chad: "I know that the Vektans, while the nominally democratic and egalitarian ones, had a conspiracy within their government to wipe out the Helghast even if such a genocide would kill many to most or even all of the Vektans on Gyre. However, it's not like we have much reason to trust the Helghast either. Visari's a legitimate dictator, and let's not forget how Padawan Oling died under sketchy circumstances." Chad had read the report on the incident and had wondered how the crew of Oling's corvette had been able to repair their hyperdrive but not their hypercomm. "Oh, and I wonder how the Vektans were able to force the Helghast off Vekta in the first place. If they were political dissidents that simply left Kalevala over disagreements regarding defense, then how could they get the firepower to takeover an entire planet and force the original population into exile?"

Palpatine sighed. "The Mandalorians have always had a complex relationship with the Republic, young Skywalker," he said in a conciliatory tone. "We cannot jeopardize relations with either the Helghast and the Vektans, certainly not now. Either of those two planets joining the Separatists would be a considerable blow to the Republic."

"I understand, sir," Chad said. "I will keep my thoughts to myself in the coming meetings with both the Vektans and the Helghast."

At the airlock the assorted Republicans were greeted by an entourage of Helghast. Autarch Scolar Visari, the leader of the Helghast, was there along with his daughter and heir, Hera Visari, Admiral Claudius Orlock of the Helghast military, and Chairman Jorhan Stahl, CEO of Stahl Arms, the largest private employer on Helghan.

"Good day, Supreme Chancellor," Visari said in a respectful tone of voice. Even an Outer Rim dictator like Visari knew to respect a fellow man of power, which Palpatine definitely was as leader of the Republic. "I welcome you to Helghan, the strongest of all Mandalorian worlds."

"It is indeed a pleasure to visit one of the Republic's strongest and most loyal new member worlds," Palpatine said, smiling for the cameras and politeness's sake. "I have important business to discuss, Your Excellency."

Once the two groups had gotten to a more private and secure location, Palpatine made his agenda clear. "The first item that needs to be discussed is petrusite," Palpatine said, referring to the newly-discovered element exclusive to Helghan that was excellent at both storing and discharging energy. "Your Excellency, we must not allow for any petrusite to be sold on the civilian market any longer. It's potential for weaponization is too great and there is already the possibility that the Separatists are using petrusite bought before the outbreak of the war in a secret weapons project of theirs."

"I understand your concern, Chancellor Palpatine," Visari said. "Therefore, I hope you plan on having the Republic buy petrusite from us instead. Petrusite has already been celebrated as a significant new export for Helghan, and the last thing I need to deal with is discontent amongst my own people. We Helghast are hardy and frugal, but everyone has their breaking points."

"Fair enough," Palpatine allowed. After all, while petrusite being sold on the open market could allow the Separatists an advantage, new supplies of petrusite being exclusively supplied to the Republic could tip the odds in their favor. "The second item on my agenda: The Grand Army needs a reliable source of quality slugthrowers. Chairman Stahl, is your company up to the task of supplying our soldiers?"

Stahl smiled. "Of course, Your Excellency, of course!" he said. "The factories my father's generation built are still more than capable of producing fearsome weapons well worth every credit spent. It will be a change to go from supporting Helghan's defense to the defense of the entire galaxy but Stahl Arms will meet the demands of any contract we take."

"Good." Palpatine handed Stahl a datapad then handed Visari another one. "The final but most important item on my agenda is simple-the contribution of Helghast space and ground forces to an expeditionary force that will be commanded by High General Mace Windu and General Chad Skywalker. Note that they will operate alongside Vektan troops in addition to Republican ones."

Visari frowned. "I understand you wanting to have as many soldiers as possible, Chancellor," the Autarch said. Chad himself knew that the hundred million or so clones the GAR currently had were badly outnumbered by the ten billion or so droids the CIS had, so he and the rest of the Jedi Order were grateful for what non-clone recruits and officers they could get. "But my soldiers will be reluctant to work alongside Vektans and vice versa. Even if they do not fire upon each other, Your Excellency, how can they be trusted to work in concert?"

"Because soldiers serve not for their own glory but out of dedication to a higher cause." Palpatine smiled. "Neither Master Windu nor General Skywalker may be Canderous Ordo, AKA Revan's _Beskar'marev_ as a Mandalorian like yourself would you, Autarch Visari, but they are both superb commanders who have proven themselves on the battlefield. Give them Vektan and Helghast troops to lead, Your Excellency, and they will become an inspiration to everyone in the Republic from the most glamorous Core World metropolises to the humblest of Outer Rim settlements. Think of the potential, Autarch Visari."

Visari nodded and stroked his chin. "Your plan has merit, Supreme Chancellor," he said. "Alright, I will provide a fleet of vessels and as many infantry and vehicles as they can carry between themselves. Admiral Orlock will be in charge of these ships and units but will ultimately defer to Generals Windu and Skywalker. You will be lucky if the Vektan government offers one astromech droid for this effort, Your Excellency."

As the meeting concluded, Hera Visari offered Chad a photo. "Who is this, Miss Visari?" inquired Chad, doing his best to sound polite and respectful. After all, Hera had to be close to her father in order to be in such an important diplomatic meeting, and he didn't want to screw things up by inadvertently irritating the Helghast in some way or another.

"My daughter Maya, General Skywalker," Hera told him. "She was conceived and born in a time of peace." The young woman, who probably was a year or so at most older than him judging by looks alone, smiled. "Hopefully she can grow up knowing peace because of brave and noble warriors like you, Master Jedi. I give you this photo of her so you will be reminded of who you fight for."

"Thank you, Mis-er, Missus Visari," Chad hastily corrected. "I will not let harm come to your daughter if I can help it, ma'am."

"I feel that is not an empty promise, Master Skywalker," Visari said in an unusually soft voice. "Please do not prove me wrong."

After another meeting, this one being with Visari's Vektan counterpart instead, it was determined that Chad would fly over to one of the Helghast ships and stay aboard for the journey to the Al'Har system while Mace would reside aboard a Vektan vessel in order to avoid appearing to favor either group of Mandalorians. Before heading out, however, all of the leading Vektan and Helghast officers were briefed aboard Retribution.

"Senior General Depa Billaba and Colonel John Konrad are the two highest-ranking Republican figures currently on Haruun Kal," Chad said after Mace had begun a briefing regarding Haruun Kal itself and the Balawai's actions and capabilities as well as those of the Upland Liberation Front. "Master Billaba resigned her seat on the Jedi Council in order to organize pro-Republic resistance fighters on Haruun Kal, while Colonel Konrad and his troops disobeyed orders and refused to pull off Haruun Kal following its secession and fled into the jungle to join up with the Korunnai. However, as of this moment, both General Billaba and Colonel Konrad have been relieved of command and are to be taken into custody while their actions on Haruun Kal are investigated. Both officers, but especially Depa Billaba, are to be considered extremely dangerous. In the event that you attempt to arrest either officer and they threaten the life of you, a superior, colleague, or subordinate, an ally, or a civilian, you _may_ use lethal force. I say again, you are authorized to use lethal force against either General Billaba or Colonel Konrad should they threaten someone else's life. Any individual that attempts to prevent the arrest of Billaba or Konrad is to be treated as an accessory to any crimes the two may have committed and at very least is to be arrested and charged with obstruction of justice. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir, yes, sir," came the crisp response from the assembled officers.

A hand went up. "General Windu," asked the top Vektan officer, General Bradley Vaughton (a man who had never gotten along with his far more ruthless and sociopathic brother, General Curtis Vaughton, who had been disavowed by the Vektan government due to being the second-in-command of a conspiracy of rogue Vektans plotting to wipe out the Helghast), "what is our primary objective? Additionally, what's our plan of attack, sir?"

"Our first objective will be to neutralize Haruun Kal's orbital defenses," Mace said. He tapped at the holoprojector's console, displaying multiple targets in orbit of the harsh and largely untamed Mid Rim world. "We will use jamming to prevent the local government from calling for reinforcements, but intelligence efforts have revealed that the Separatists have given their allies Vulture droids and weapon satellites in an effort to bolster their defenses. While Haruun Kal's orbital defense network is more suited for anti-piracy operations than warfare, it is still not to be underestimated. Additionally, the Al'Har system's gas giants make it an ideal refueling stop for the CIS, so we may encounter Separatist warships looking to refuel. It will be critical to prevent any such ships from escaping or calling for reinforcements, for the last thing we need is for the Separatists to bring in a force we can't hope to fight off."

Mace tapped at the console once again, highlighting a particular type of satellite. "Once we've established space supremacy over Haruun Kal, the kinetic bombardment satellites are our primary targets. One kinetic rod is powerful enough to take out a small town or an infantry battalion, so the sooner we destroy them all, the better. After the kinetic satellites have been neutralized, our next targets will be other military satellites, ranging from SIGINT models to enemy comm sats. Take them out, and the Balawai will have less firepower on their side."

Chad took over from there. "The Balawai military forces are, naturally, better armed than the Korunnai due to profits from the thyssel bark trade. Decent small arms and body armor plus armor and aerial support, but bear in mind that the Balawai militia regulars have trained to fight street gangs and Korunnai partisans. Up against professional soldiers, they won't do as well, though under no circumstances are any hostiles to be underestimated, even those dumb B-One droids. Our first objective on the ground is to take control of Pelek Baw, the planetary capital and largest city. If we can capture the city and the planetary government's leadership, we can possibly force the Balawai security forces to stand down and thus keep them from running interference in our search for General Billaba and Colonel Konrad. Be advised: Not only are our troops to watch out for civilians to avoid or at least minimize collateral damage, but apparently the Balawai imported a large amount of weapons from both Vekta and Helghan, so check your targets before you pull the trigger."

Chad noticed a few Helghast and Vektan officers glance around uncomfortably.

"Once Pelek Baw is under our control, then our efforts will shift to finding General Billaba and Colonel Konrad and taking them into custody. The aforementioned rules of engagement stand for both subjects as well as any armed followers of theirs. Both an ODA and an infantry regiment of Judicials are known to have been under the command of General Billaba and Colonel Konrad, and while their numbers could have been reduced by attrition, we have no idea how many local partisans the two have recruited. Additionally, I cannot stress enough that each and every Korunnai is Force-sensitive to an extent." Chad paused to let this fact sink in. "So we may very well be facing a small army of Korunnai armed with machetes that they can throw and retrieve effectively who will have no problem attempting to decapitate us. Are we clear, ladies and gentlemen?"

There was a chorus of affirmative replies from the assembly of Mandalorian officers.

"Good. Brief your units and prepare for our departure to the Al'Har system. May the Force be with us, ladies and gentlemen. Dismissed."

Soon afterwards Chad and Salter landed in the hangar of the Helghast cruiser _Canderous Ordo_ , named after the famous _Mand'alor_ who had fought alongside the Jedi Knight Revan against the forces of the extremely unstable and violent Sith Lord known to the galaxy as Darth Malak. After Darth Malak's Sith Empire had been defeated (with Malak himself having apparently been fatally wounded in combat with Revan), Canderous Ordo had claimed the title of _Te Taylir Mand'alor_ ("Mandalore the Preserver" in Basic) and sought to restore his people's greatness and prepare the Mandalorians for further galactic strife and conflict. His descendants were some of the original settlers of Vekta, and thus Canderous Ordo was a particularly revered figure in Helghast history.

"Welcome aboard _Canderous_ _Ordo_ , General Skywalker," said the CO of the soldiers embarked aboard, Lieutenant Colonel Mael Radec of the Autarch's Guard Regiment, saluting as Chad and Salter exited their Jackal's cockpit. "I hope you enjoy your stay, sir."

Chad returned Radec's salute. "Thank you, Colonel Radec," he replied politely before proceeding to shake hands with the Helghast officer. "My brother Anakin fought with you prior to the start of the Separatist Crisis. He spoke quite highly of you, Colonel."

"Understood, General," the older officer said in a somewhat curt tone, for the mission where Anakin had worked with the Helghast to stop a conspiracy of genocidal Vektans remained classified for security reasons. "Follow me, I'll show you and your co-pilot to the bridge."

The mixed trio of officers left the hangar, turning heads as they did. Notably, most of the Helghast that did show themselves to be distracted seemed to focus on Chad in particular.

"I heard from Master Kenobi that the Helghast remember their ancestors fighting alongside Revan and Bastila Shan," Chad said as they entered an elevator. "Is it true that at least some Helghast have dreamed of fighting alongside a Jedi, Colonel Radec?"

"Both are true, General Skywalker," Radec answered as the elevator began to move upwards. "After all, this ship is named after Mandalore the Preserver, and General Kenobi's and your brother's aid of my people has not gone unsung. To tell the truth, Captain Dyre finds hosting you and Lieutenant Commander Salter to be the greatest honor bestowed upon him in his life."

Chad nodded solemnly as the elevator came to a stop. "I'll be sure to appreciate his hospitality, then, Colonel."

The bridge of _Canderous Ordo_ was teeming with activity, various computers and displays attended to by enlisted ratings and officers. However, Captain Cassus Dyre still found time to announce Chad's arrival.

"General Skywalker on deck!"

Chad returned the various salutes performed by the Helghast on the bridge, holding his helmet with his left hand. The Jedi Knight had opted to enter the bridge bareheaded out of respect for Captain Dyre. "Thank you, Captain Dyre," he said. "This is a fine vessel you command."

"Thank you, Master Jedi," replied Dyre, clearly pleased to meet with Chad. "It'd be a dishonor upon all of Helghan if we did not do Mandalore the Preserver and Revan's Iron Fist justice by neglecting to maintain a warship worthy of his name."

"Mandalore Ordo was a valuable ally of the Jedi Order and Republic during one of the darkest periods in galactic history, Captain," Chad said, nodding his head in agreement. "He deserves to have a fine vessel like yours named after him. Now, before we get underway, I'd like to be shown to the armory. I may have to use infantry weapons if things get dire on the ground, after all, and I should familiarize myself with what Helghast soldiers use."

"Of course, sir," Dyre said, a glint in his eye. "But if it's not too much trouble, I'd appreciate it if you gave a shipwide address."

He nodded. "It won't be a problem, Captain," said Chad. "Thank you for this opportunity."

Chad got on the PA as ordered. "Attention, crew and soldiers of _Canderous Ordo_ ," he began. "This is Jedi General Chad Skywalker, Executive Officer of the Mandalorian Expeditionary Force. We are going into combat against the Separatists in the Al'Har system. The Separatist Alliance is built on suffering and slaughter, all done in the name of freedom and independence. The Republic's most prominent defends are Jedi Knights and clone troopers, but I am honored to fight alongside people who fight not because they were raised to do so, but because they chose to do so. That is bravery and selflessness, ladies and gentlemen, and I'm glad to have the Helghast people as an ally. Thank you for choosing to fight in this war."

The bridge cheered, and Chad could feel cheering and chanting throughout the rest of the ship. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a war to win," he finished. "But I'm confident we'll win it together. Skywalker out."

Dyre smiled. "That was a beautiful speech, General Skywalker," he said. "Thank you, sir, I couldn't have written a better one myself."

Chad nodded. "You're welcome, Captain Dyre. We all do our part."

Chad and Salter then headed down with Radec to _Ordo's_ armory. There they familiarized themselves with the standard-issue assault rifle, shotgun, pistol, and LMG of the Helghast Army. While Salter being a SCAR meant she had previous training and experience with slugthrowers and thus was able to get the hang of things quickly, Chad's only previous experience with firearms exclusively consisted of him handling blasters. Slugthrowers operated considerably differently, with the most significant difference being that the chemical propellant of a bullet meant that a slugthrower produced more recoil than a comparable blaster. As a result, it took Chad sometime before he was comfortable with using any of the various weapons he had been provided.

"It is both wise and prudent of you to familiarize yourself with unfamiliar tools you may need to use in the near future, General Skywalker," stated Radec in a calm but respectful tone as the three officers left the armor. "Now if you'll excuse me, sir, I must prepare my command for deployment."

Chad nodded. "Of course, Colonel," he said. "Lieutenant Commander, with me. Let's get back to the hangar and make sure everything's alright with your Jackal."

"Sounds like a plan, boss," Salter said approvingly.

Along the way Chad was approached by quite a few admirers of the Jedi amongst the ship's crew and complement, with some of the sailors and soldiers even asking (albeit in polite and deferential tones) for his autograph. Chad did sign whatever papers he was offered out of politeness, even though he was a bit unnerved and uncomfortable with the attention he was getting from the Helghast.

"We're refueling your ship now, General Skywalker," a Helghast crew chief said shortly after Chad and Salter entered the hangar. "You'll be fully fueled and ready when we reach the Al'Har system."

"Technically, that's Lieutenant Commander Salter's bird," Chad said. "But thank you regardless, sailor."

Captain Dyre then got on the ship's address system and announced they were expected to make the jump to hyperspace in five minutes. Five minutes and thirty seconds later, _Canderous Ordo's_ hyperdrive engaged and the ship began speeding towards the Mid Rim system.

The ship's hangar bay was kept busy and filled with crews readying fighters and dropships for takeoff before troops started to head in, ready to board their transports. Finally, _Ordo_ dropped out of hyperspace, and Chad took this as his cue to hail traffic control.

"Hangar Control, SCAR Two requesting clearance for takeoff," Chad said, his and Salter's Z-95's engines active and ready to expel ion thrust.

"SCAR Two, roger," came the reply of a female Helghast sailor. "You are cleared for takeoff. Happy hunting, General."

"Thank you, Hangar Control," Chad replied as the Jackal lifted off and headed for deep space. "SCAR Two out."

"SCAR Squadron, this is SCAR Leader," came the voice of Commander Reyes. "We've got hostile Cloakshapes in our airspace-more specifically, the enemy has Skelters. Our priority is to engage and destroy them while the other squadrons handle the Vultures. Stay away from the weapon satellites, _Retribution_ and the other capital ships have them under control. How copy?"

"Solid copy, SCAR Lead," replied Salter. Chad didn't say anything, he simply noted the incoming Cloakshapes on radar.

"I'll fly, Salter," Chad ordered. "Just make sure to shoot any bastards that get in front of us."

"You got it, sir," she responded. There were two of them in the Headhunter, after all, and Chad suspected Salter was relieved to have her workload reduced by a Jedi.

It was a one-sided fight. The enemy Skelter pilots may have been smarter and more creative than Vulture droids (who more than made up for their creative sterility in the form of faster response times and being able to pull off maneuvers that would kill organic pilots), but they were ultimately less well-trained than the SCAR pilots. In fact, if Chad had been a gambler, he would have bet that, in a fair fight, the SCARs would be able to annihilate an equivalent amount of Skelter pilots and suffer little to no casualties in the process. Having him in the mix simply made things quicker and easier for the Republicans.

"This is General Windu to all fighters," came the voice of Mace. "Good work, pilots. Stay on guard, we're going to need a fighter screen to cover the warships while they deal with the anti-starfighter satellites and kinetic bombardment ones."

It wasn't long before all of the anti-ship weapon satellites were destroyed. However, before their kinetic bombardment cousins could be fired upon, seven starships exited hyperspace near one of Al'Har's gas giants.

"Contact, contact!" called a Vektan comms operator. "Multiple hostile ships have entered the AO!"

"Confirmed," added Captain Dyre. " _Ordo_ Actual to all ships, six _Munificent_ -class frigates and one _Recusant_ -class destroyer detected. I say again, we tracking six Separatist frigates and one Separatist destroyer in the AO."

"Jam their transmissions," Admiral Orlock ordered promptly.

"This is General Skywalker to General Windu, break-break," said Chad. "I got an idea, do you copy?"

"What is it, Chad?" asked Mace in a terse voice.

"SCARs One and Two and I will go EVA near the Sep destroyer," Chad began to elaborate, "while the rest of the SCARs cover us and run interference. We breach the bridge then proceed inside and seize control of the ship. With the bridge under our control, we can turn the destroyer again the rest of her fleet."

"That sounds impossible to pull off, General," interjected Orlock.

Chad shook his head even though the bald Helghast officer couldn't see him. "Admiral, my subordinates and I have sealed suits," he pointed out. "Besides, those frigates on their own pack enough firepower to outgun _Retribution_ and they've got a light destroyer backing them up. It's in our best interests to even the odds ASAP."

"Alright, Chad," Mace cut in. "You're clear to take SCAR Squadron and attempt to board the ship, may the Force be with you."

"And you, Master," Chad said respectfully. "Alright, SCAR Squadron, let's head for that destroyer."

The newly-arrived Separatists, alarmed at walking into an unintentional ambush, deployed as many of their Vulture droids as they could. The rest of the SCARs were ordered to keep them off SCAR One and SCAR Two as Chad and his chosen subordinates got closer and closer to the enemy flagship.

"Peace to the fallen," Commander Reyes said in a solemn tone, inadvertently alerting Salter and Chad about his feelings.

"Peace to the fallen," Chad repeated somberly, knowing his plan would result in bloodshed even if it ended up saving more lives in the long run.

After getting as close to the Recusant as they could, Chad, Reyes, Salter, and Ethan abandoned their Jackals and headed towards the bridge. Ethan had to grab onto Chad since he lacked a maneuvering pack, unlike Reyes and Salter.

"Ethan, get us right in front of the bridge," Chad ordered while Reyes reported their status.

"Copy, sir," Ethan said as he began to comply. "Why?"

"I've got a foolproof way to get us inside," Chad said simply.

Once Chad got into view of the bridge's windows, he promptly shattered one of them with the Force, sending the droid helmsmen and oxygen flying into deep space. A shield door came down, but Chad was able to stop it before it could seal the breach.

"Ethan, get in there and secure the bridge," he said. "I'll hold the door in place."

"Moving in now, sir," replied Ethan as he flew through the opening.

Reyes ordered Salter to stay with Chad before entering the bridge himself. Once Reyes was safely inside, Chad released his grip on the shield door and allowed Salter to fly him to the nearest airlock. Reyes opened said airlock, allowing both Salter and Chad inside.

"All stations, everyone on this net," Chad said as the airlock was sealed, "this is General Skywalker. We are onboard enemy destroyer, I say again, we have infiltrated target vessel. Does anyone copy, over?"

"Chad, this is Mace," came Windu's voice. "I copy, how long until you have the ship under control?"

"I estimate a minute or two at most, Mace," Chad said as he proceeded into the bridge. "Reyes, you and Salter secure the door, keep anything from coming in. Ethan, lockout all gunners from here." Warship bridges were able to remotely strip control from groups like the gunnery and engineering crews in the event that the ship was boarded. In this case, however, such a feature was a weakness to be ruthlessly exploited.

"Sir, I advise finding the CO and getting his identity card, plus we may need a hand for biometrics."

Chad nodded and started looking for the now dead Separatist naval officer in question.

 **ME: I named Sam Croshaw as a dig at BackgroundRobot-11 of this site (who also has accounts on Deviantart and AO3, the former of which is where I got his apparent first name) for his stupidity (the moron has shown sloppy editing in at least a couple of his stories, with one chapter having about thirty-two or so missing periods, in addition to clearly hating Karen Traviss and outright saying Ordo killed kids in Order 66, which he didn't) and the infamous Yahtzee of YouTube, who defended the SDF of Infinite Warfare even though Admiral Kotch shot one of his own guys before saying, "Care clouds judgement." Seriously, Kotch, the Big Bad, kills one of his own men just to make a point to a guy he has killed about two minutes later, and we're supposed to believe his faction is simply defending itself? By shooting that unlucky Mook, Kotch used a bullet on a perfectly good soldier of his whose chief flaw seems to be a bit overeager even by SetDef's rather lax standards, possibly lowered morale because few would want to serve under Admiral Team-Killer, and gave SATO/the UNSA material they could release unedited as a propaganda video in order to galvanize their own civilians as pointed out by another Internet denizen. Even if he was intending to psyche out any UNSA guys watching Wolf's helmet feed, there's still the aforementioned propaganda material thing plus all the other issues. So as far as I'm concerned, I'm not taking Yahtzee's criticism very seriously in the future.**

 **I included the petrusite and Krennic as a reference to the Death Star, given how petrusite at the least seems to be the Killzone equivalent of lithium.**

 **I'm actually interested in exploring how the Helghast were forced off Vekta, and it seems as though in Killzone both sides canonically stretch things at best in propaganda. I mean, it's a bit of a stretch for dissidents from Kalevala to be able to get enough firepower to forcibly expel a planet's population-maybe the Vektans got someone else to do their dirty work? Maybe I oughta mention the Helghan Corporation as the ones who originally colonized Helghan before the Helghast had to flee there.**

 **I didn't do anything on Haruun Kal itself because I need ideas for what to do on the ground. I originally planned to have Mace come in to knock a ship's engine out of alignment so the Seps would have to shut it down and it'd be blown up by a proton torpedo, but that would've been too convoluted, so Chad ended up having to breach a bridge instead.**

 **I hope you guys liked this.**


End file.
